Aquatic Biology
Aquatic Biology is a gold Open Access journal and a multidisciplinary forum for research on the biology of organisms in marine, brackish and fresh waters. SEDAO (Sexuality and Early Development in Aquatic Organisms), an international journal that covered all aspects of reproduction and early development in marine, brackish and freshwater organisms, was incorporated into AB in late 2015.
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/ab00378
copiedMycorrhizal association with native and invasive cordgrass Spartina spp. in San Francisco Bay, California
ABSTRACT: For the first time, hybrids of Spartinaalterniflora × foliosa are reported to form mycorrhizal associations. This is important in light of the invasion dynamics within San Francisco Bay—where Spartina hybrids are invading tidal habitats and causing functional changes in the ecosystem. Mycorrhizal associations can positively influence biomass production in invasive Spartina and may contribute to increased invasion success. Of the Spartina hybrids investigated, 83% were mycorrhizal. During hybridization, the ability to be mycorrhizal may be contributed by the native S. foliosa, also found to be mycorrhizal, whereas the introduced S. alterniflora is non-mycorrhizal in its native habitat. Seedlings of Spartina hybrids inoculated with a commercial mycorrhizal mix showed greater above-ground growth and total biomass compared to control plants in the greenhouse. Mycorrhizal associations have the po-tential to influence the invasion trajectory of hybrid Spartina in San Francisco Bay, but additional research is needed.
KEYWORDS
Clones of hybrid Spartina spp. are invading San Francisco Bay.
Symbiotic microorganisms can influence species invasions. The introduced halophyte cordgrass Spartina alterniflora has hybridized with the native Spartina foliosa and is causing changes in ecosystem functioning in tidal habitats of San Francisco Bay. Eberl shows for the first time the presence of mycorrhizae in the invasive Spartina spp. hybrid. The introduced S. alterniflora is non-mycorrhizal in its native habitat, whereas the native S. foliosa is mycorrhizal and thus probably contributes the ability to form the mycorrhizal association in the hybrid. Hybrid Spartina produce greater biomass when grown with a commercial mycorrhizal mix in the greenhouse, compared to non-mycorrhizal controls. Therefore, mycorrhizal associations influence the invasion trajectory of hybrid Spartina.
Renate Eberl (Co-author)