HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (8) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Peltzer, D. A. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Peltzer, D. A. Agricola Articles by Peltzer, D. A.

Does clonal integration improve competitive ability? A test using aspen (Populus tremuloides [Salicaceae]) invasion into prairie¹

Landcare Research, P.O. Box 69, Lincoln 8152, New Zealand

Many clonal plants consist of many connected individual ramets, allowing them to share water and nutrients via physiological integration. Integration among ramets may also improve the ability of clonal plants to tolerate abiotic stress or improve the competitive ability of individual ramets. Here I use a field experiment to determine whether clonal integration improves ramet performance for a widespread clonal tree species invading into native prairie. Aspen (Populus tremuloides) dominates the southern treeline in western Canada, has long-lived belowground connections between mother and daughter ramets, and reproduces vegetatively via resprouting rhizomes after disturbance. I applied two competition treatments (neighbors present or absent) and two clonal integration treatments (belowground rhizomes between mother and daughter ramets either severed or left intact) to 12 replicate Populus daughter ramets at each of three sites. Neighbors improved the survivorship of Populus ramets by 25–35% after 2 yr, but decreased growth by 20%. Clonal integration tended to improve ramet survival and growth, but these trends were often not significant. Clonal integration did not alter the effects of competition from neighboring vegetation, suggesting that connections between ramets do not necessarily improve the competitive ability of Populus invading into native prairie.

Key Words: clonal plant • competition • grassland • physiological integration • Populus tremuloides • prairie • tree–grass competition • tree invasion

This article has been cited by other articles:

				N. Wang, F.-H. Yu, P.-X. Li, W.-M. He, F.-H. Liu, J.-M. Liu, and M. Dong Clonal Integration Affects Growth, Photosynthetic Efficiency and Biomass Allocation, but not the Competitive Ability, of the Alien Invasive Alternanthera philoxeroides under Severe Stress Ann. Bot., April 1, 2008; 101(5): 671 - 678. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]