Immobilizing nitrogen to control plant invasion.
Increased soil N availability may often facilitate plant invasions. Therefore, lowering N availability might reduce these invasions and favor desired species. Here, we review the potential efficacy of several commonly proposed management approaches for lowering N availability to control invasion, including soil C addition, burning, grazing, topsoil removal, and biomass removal, as well as a less frequently proposed management approach for lowering N availability, establishment of plant species adapted to low N availability. We conclude that many of these approaches may be promising for lowering N availability by stimulating N immobilization, even though most are generally ineffective for removing N from ecosystems (excepting topsoil removal). C addition and topsoil removal are the most reliable approaches for lowering N availability, and often favor desired species over invasive species, but are too expensive or destructive, respectively, for most management applications. Less intensive approaches, such as establishing low-N plant species, burning, grazing and biomass removal, are less expensive than C addition and may lower N availability if they favor plant species that are adapted to low N availability, produce high C:N tissue, and thus stimulate N immobilization. Regardless of the method used, lowering N availability sufficiently to reduce invasion will be difficult, particularly in sites with high atmospheric N deposition or agricultural runoff. Therefore, where feasible, the disturbances that result in high N availability should be limited in order to reduce invasions by nitrophilic weeds.
Perry
Laura G
LG
Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA. Laura.Perry@colostate.edu
Blumenthal
Dana M
DM
Monaco
Thomas A
TA
Paschke
Mark W
MW
Redente
Edward F
EF
D009584:Nitrogen / Q000737:chemistry*; D063245:Plant Development; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis*; D013045:Species Specificity
D012987:Soil; D009584:Nitrogen
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