Abstract
Summary Over three growing seasons, we tested how an invasive tree species ( Acer platanoides ) affected native plant growth in understorey communities of a suburban forest in central New Jersey, USA. We planted similar aged and sized saplings (≥ 0.25 m tall) into experimental plots identified with one of three treatments (0%, 25% and 50% of total stems are invasive species) and hypothesized native species would grow better in communities lacking invasive plants. There was a plant survival rate of 90% for the duration of the experiment, but in treatments where natives competed with A. platanoides , growth of native species was significantly less than in the purely native stand. In 2006, the mean height of A. rubrum was 110 cm ( ± 4 SE) in communities with the highest proportion of A. platanoides , while it was 149 cm ( ± 7 SE) in the 0% invasive communities. Conversely, A. platanoides grew similarly in treatments where it comprised two different proportions and beneath both canopy types (i.e. invasive and native). Native saplings were 28% shorter beneath an invasive canopy (i.e. A. platanoides ), compared with a native canopy. A striking interaction existed between community treatment and canopy type, as the invasive canopy had such a strong negative effect on native growth that the presence of invasive saplings was irrelevant. However, beneath a native canopy, the absence of invasive saplings significantly increased growth of native saplings. As the extent and rate of invasive proliferation often makes complete removal unrealistic, this study supports episodic removal (every 2–3 years) of this invasive sapling. Synthesis . This experiment showed that native sapling growth was inhibited (i) when growing beneath an invasive canopy and (ii) when competing with A. platanoides in forest understorey communities. It appears canopy type is more important, because the negative effects from an invasive canopy were strong enough that the co‐occurrence of invasive saplings had no impact on native growth. The capability of A. platanoides to inhibit native saplings through understorey competition and overstorey canopy effects, while not affecting conspecifics, may contribute to its success as an invader of North American forests.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Sapling survival was 90% over the experiment.
Verbatim
e0“There was a plant survival rate of 90% for the duration of the experiment”
Claim · model-written summary
Native species grew significantly less when competing with A. platanoides than in purely native stands.
- Taxon
- native speciese0
- Treatment
- competed with A. platanoidese0
- Interactor
- A. platanoides
Acer platanoidese0other - Outcome
- growth of native speciese0
- Direction
- lesse0
- Comparator
- purely native stande0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“in treatments where natives competed with A. platanoides , growth of native species was significantly less than in the purely native stand”
Claim · model-written summary
A. rubrum mean height was 110 cm with the highest A. platanoides proportion versus 149 cm in communities without invasive trees.
- Taxon
- A. rubrum
Acer rubrume0 - Treatment
- highest proportion of A. platanoidese0
- Interactor
- A. platanoidesAcer platanoidese0other
- Outcome
- mean height of A. rubrume0
- Value
- 110 cme0
- Qualifier
- 149 cm ( ± 7 SE)e0
- Comparator
- 0% invasive communitiese0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the mean height of A. rubrum was 110 cm ( ± 4 SE) in communities with the highest proportion of A. platanoides , while it was 149 cm ( ± 7 SE) in the 0% invasive communities”
Claim · model-written summary
A. platanoides grew similarly across its two proportions and both canopy types.
- Taxon
- A. platanoidesAcer platanoidese0
- Outcome
- grew similarlye0
- Direction
- similarlye0
- Comparator
- both canopy typese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“A. platanoides grew similarly in treatments where it comprised two different proportions and beneath both canopy types (i.e. invasive and native)”
Claim · model-written summary
Native saplings were 28% shorter beneath an invasive canopy than beneath a native canopy.
- Taxon
- Native saplingse0
- Treatment
- invasive canopye0
- Interactor
- A. platanoidesAcer platanoidese0other
- Outcome
- Native saplingse0
- Direction
- shortere0
- Value
- 28%e0
- Comparator
- native canopye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Native saplings were 28% shorter beneath an invasive canopy (i.e. A. platanoides ), compared with a native canopy”
Claim · model-written summary
Under an invasive canopy, invasive saplings had no additional impact on native growth.
Verbatim
e0“the invasive canopy had such a strong negative effect on native growth that the presence of invasive saplings was irrelevant”
Claim · model-written summary
Under a native canopy, absence of invasive saplings significantly increased native sapling growth.
- Taxon
- native saplingse0
- Treatment
- absence of invasive saplingse0
- Outcome
- growth of native saplingse0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“beneath a native canopy, the absence of invasive saplings significantly increased growth of native saplings”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors support episodic removal of invasive saplings every 2–3 years.
- Taxon
- Acer platanoidesAcer platanoidest0
- Outcome
- episodic removal (every 2–3 years)e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“this study supports episodic removal (every 2–3 years) of this invasive sapling”
t0“Acer platanoides”