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Effects of Phragmites invasion on soil microbial activity and structure in a brackish marsh

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Abstract

Background and aims

The spread of invasive plants in wetlands associated with human activity has become a serious environmental problem because of the negative effects of these species on biodiversity and biogeochemistry in ecosystems. Unlike their impacts on aboveground biodiversity, the responses of soil microbial communities and related soil characteristics to invasive plants are largely unknown. In this study, we assessed the structural and functional responses of soil microorganisms and belowground biogeochemistry to the invasion of Phragemites australis, which has heavily invaded in wetland areas globally, in brackish marsh areas in Korea.

Methods

We measured soil biogeochemical characteristics including extracellular enzyme activities and microbial community structure (t-RFLP) in the marsh, both undisturbed and invaded areas over a year period.

Results

We found higher extracellular enzyme activity in invaded areas compared to the undisturbed region dominated by the native species Scirpus planiculmis, and this response was profound during the growing season. Fungal and bacterial community structure, analyzed by terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism, indicated that invasion by Phragmites had little effect on these communities. However, significantly higher microbial diversity was found in intermediately invaded areas in which Scirpus and Phragmites were co-dominant.

Conclusions

This result suggests that microbial diversity was affected by plant diversity, rather than invasion by or presence of a particular species. Our results suggest that physicochemical conditions related to dominant plant species alter microbial activity, while plant diversity is a more important regulator of microbial community structure and diversity.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by NRF (ERC 2013-067218). We thank to Anne Altor for helpful suggestions and review on earlier drafts of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, USA

    Keunyea Song

  2. National Institute of Environmental Research, Incheon, South Korea

    Jiae Lee

  3. Department of Biosystem Engineering, Joong-Ang University, Seoul, South Korea

    Chang-Jun Cha

  4. School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Yonsei University, Seongsanno, Seodeamun-Ku, Seoul, Republic of Korea

    Hojeong Kang

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  1. Keunyea Song
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Correspondence to Hojeong Kang.

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Responsible Editor: Sven Marhan.

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Song, K., Lee, J., Cha, CJ. et al. Effects of Phragmites invasion on soil microbial activity and structure in a brackish marsh. Plant Soil 392, 45–56 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-014-2339-7

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