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   Location:Home > Research > Research Progress
Phosphorus, Irradiance and Native Plant Competitor together Influence Relative Performance of Invasive Chromolaena odorata
Author: Zheng Yulong
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Update time: 2024-10-29
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Resource competition is an important factor affecting the invasion success of alien plants, and environmental factors influence the competition outcomes between invasive and native plants. Chromolaena odorata has been listed as one of main invasive species in China and it threatens biodiversity, agriculture and forestry. However, the invasion mechanism of Codorata needs further study.

In a study published in BMC Plant Biology, researchers from Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) compared competitive outcomes between invasive C.odorata and two native plants (Eupatorium lindleyanum and Xanthium sibiricum) under different phosphorus (the second most important macronutrient in limiting plant growth) and irradiance ( an important resource regulating plant survival, growth, and distribution) levels to provide valuable information for understanding the invasion mechanism of Codorata.

 The researchers planted the seedling in five patterns: monoculture of CodorataElindleyanum, and Xsibiricum (one individual in each pot) and competition planting (Codorata + ElindleyanumCodorata + Xsibiricum),  at two phosphorus and two irradiance levels: no phosphorus addition and phosphorus addition; normal irradiance and shade irradiance.

They found that invasive Codorata had a similar effective quantum yield of biogenesis of photosystem II (Phi2) but higher net photosynthetic rate (Pn) than native Elindleyanum and Xsibiricum in most treatments. The biomass of Codorata was significantly higher than that of native Xsibiricum but lower than that of native Elindleyanum except under “Normal + P” and “Normal + No P” treatments. The effects of phosphorus addition on the competition between the invader and native plants depended on the irradiance level. 

Moreover, irradiance had no significant effects on biomass in monoculture or competition, but its interaction with species, phosphorus, and competitor identity had a significant effect on biomass under competition conditions.

“Our study showed that invasive Codorata does not always perform better than both native plants, and the competitive outcome between Codorata and native plants is dependent on native competitor identity and environmental conditions (irradiance and phosphorus level),” said ZHENG Yulong of XTBG.

The researchers proposed to plant Elindleyanum in the understory with phosphorus addition, in order to prevent Codorata from invading forest.


Published: 12 October 2024


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Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China
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