title: Clonal integration affects growth, photosynthetic efficiency and biomass allocation, but not the competitive ability, of the alien invasive Alternanthera philoxeroides under severe stress.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Many notorious alien invasive plants are clonal, but little is known about some roles and aspects of clonal integration. Here, the hypothesis is tested that clonal integration affects growth, photosynthetic efficiency, biomass allocation and competitive ability of the exotic invasive weed Alternanthera philoxeroides (Amaranthaceae).
  
  
  METHODS
  The apical parts of Alternanthera were grown either with or without the lawn grass Schedonorus phoenix (tall fescue) and their stolon connections to the basal parts grown without competitors were either severed or left intact.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Competition greatly reduced the maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (F(v)/F(m)) and growth (biomass, number of ramets and leaves, total stolon length and total leaf area) of the apical Alternanthera, but not the biomass of S. phoenix. Stolon connections significantly increased F(v)/F(m) and growth of Alternanthera. However, such effects on growth were smaller with than without competition and stolon connections did not alter the relative neighbour effect of Alternanthera. Stolon connections increased Alternanthera's biomass allocation to roots without competition, but decreased it with competition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clonal integration contributed little to Alternanthera's competitive ability, but was very important for Alternanthera to explore open space. The results suggest that the invasiveness of Alternanthera may be closely related to clonal integration.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Fei-Hai
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Ping-Xing
authors.initials: PX
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wei-Ming
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Feng-Hong
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ji-Ming
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dong
mesh_terms: D027703:Amaranthaceae / Q000254:growth & development*; D018533:Biomass; D017753:Ecosystem; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*