title: Effects of a native parasitic plant on an exotic invader decrease with increasing host age.
abstract: Understanding changes in the interactions between parasitic plants and their hosts in relation to ontogenetic changes in the hosts is crucial for successful use of parasitic plants as biological controls. We investigated growth, photosynthesis and chemical defences in different-aged Bidens pilosa plants in response to infection by Cuscuta australis. We were particularly interested in whether plant responses to parasite infection change with changes in the host plant age. Compared with the non-infected B. pilosa, parasite infection reduced total host biomass and net photosynthetic rates, but these deleterious effects decreased with increasing host age. Parasite infection reduced the concentrations of total phenolics, total flavonoids and saponins in the younger B. pilosa but not in the older B. pilosa. Compared with the relatively older and larger plants, younger and smaller plants suffered from more severe damage and are likely less to recover from the infection, suggesting that C. australis is only a viable biocontrol agent for younger B. pilosa plants.
authors.affiliation: Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou 318000, China Institute of Ecology, Taizhou University, Taizhou 318000, China lijmtzc@126.com.
authors.forename: Junmin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou 318000, China Institute of Ecology, Taizhou University, Taizhou 318000, China.
authors.forename: Beifen
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou 318000, China Institute of Ecology, Taizhou University, Taizhou 318000, China.
authors.forename: Qiaodi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Institute of Ecology, Taizhou University, Taizhou 318000, China School of Life Science, Shanxi Normal University, Linfen 041004, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: School of Life Science, Shanxi Normal University, Linfen 041004, China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Ecophysiology Group, Forest Dynamics, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Maihe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
keywords: Defence; deleterious effect; growth; invasive plant; parasitic plant
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