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Establishment and persistence of common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.) in disturbed soil as a function of an urban-rural macro-environment
- Abstract::
- No data are available on whether rising carbon dioxide concentration [CO₂] or increased air temperature can alter the establishment and persistence of common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.) within a plant community following soil disturbance. To determine ragweed longevity, we exposed disturbed soil with a common seed bank population to an in situ temperature and [CO₂] gradient along an urban-rural transect beginning in early 2002. No other consistent differences in meteorological variables (e.g. wind speed, humidity, PAR, tropospheric ozone) as a function of urbanization were documented over the course of the study (2002-2005). Above-ground measurements of biomass over this period demonstrated that ragweed along the transect responded to urban induced increases in [CO₂]/temperature with peak biomass being observed at this location by the end of 2003. However, by the Fall of 2004, and continuing through 2005, urban ragweed populations had dwindled to a few plants. The temporal decline in ragweed populations was not associated with increased disease, herbivory or auto-allelopathy, but was part of a demographic reduction in the total number of annual plant species observed for the urban location. In a separate experiment, we showed that such a demographic shift is consistent with CO₂/temperature induced increases in biomass and litter accumulation, with a subsequent reduction in germination/survival of annual plant species. Overall, these data indicate that [CO₂]/temperature differences associated with urbanization may increase initial ragweed productivity and pollen production, but suggest that long-term, multi-year persistence of ragweed in the urban macro-environment may be dependent on other factors.
- Author(s):
-
Ziska, L.H. , George, K. , Frenz, D.A.
- Subject(s):
-
Ambrosia artemisiifolia , weeds , disturbed soils , carbon dioxide , temperature , ozone , longevity , plant establishment , population size , biomass , urbanization , rural areas , suburban areas , urban areas , Maryland
- Description:
- Includes references
- Source:
- Global change biology 2007 Jan., v. 13, no. 1
- Language:
- English
- Year:
- 2007
- Publisher:
- Oxford, UK : Blackwell Publishing Ltd
- Collection:
-
Journal Articles, USDA Authors, Peer-Reviewed
- File:
-
Download [PDF]
- Rights:
- Works produced by employees of the U.S. Government as part of their official duties are not copyrighted within the U.S. The content of this document is not copyrighted.
