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Herbivory and allelopathy contribute jointly to the diversity-invasibility relationship
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  • Wang Jiang,
  • Song Gao,
  • He-fang Hong,
  • Wei Xue,
  • Ji-wei Yuan,
  • Xiao-Yan Wang,
  • Mark van Kleunen,
  • Junmin Li
Wang Jiang
Taizhou University
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Song Gao
School of Life Science/Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou University, Taizhou 318000, China
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He-fang Hong
Linhai Branch of Taizhou Ecological Environment Bureau,Linhai 317000, China
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Wei Xue
Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, School of Life Sciences, Taizhou University, Taizhou, China
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Ji-wei Yuan
Taizhou Ecological and Environmental Monitoring Center, Taizhou, China
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Xiao-Yan Wang
school of life science, Taizhou university
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Mark van Kleunen
University of Konstanz
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Junmin Li
Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, School of Life Sciences, Taizhou University, Taizhou, China

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Abstract

Although herbivory and allelopathy play important roles in plant invasions, their roles in mediating the effect of plant diversity on invasion resistance remain unknown. We performed a two-year field experiment in which we manipulated plant-species richness, herbivory and allelopathy, and then experimentally invaded the plots with the invasive Solidago canadensis. One year after the start of the experiment, there was no significant effect of species richness on biomass of the invader, as a negative indirect effect of species richness via increase light interception was compensated by a positive direct effect. However, in the second year, the relationship was negative, in line with the diversity-invasibility hypothesis. The negative relationship was strongest when herbivory and allelopathy were not manipulated. Therefore, we conclude that joint effects of herbivory and allelopathic interactions between the native plants and the invader play a major role in the observed species richness-invasibility relationship.