Root carbon flow from an invasive plant to belowground foodwebs. Bradford, M., Strickland, M., DeVore, J., & Maerz, J. Plant and Soil, 359(1-2):233–244, 2012.
doi  abstract   bibtex   
Aims: Soil foodwebs are based on plant production. This production enters belowground foodwebs via numerous pathways, with root pathways likely dominating supply. Indeed, root exudation may fuel 30-50 % of belowground activity with photosynthate fixed only hours earlier. Yet we have limited knowledge of root fluxes of recent-photosynthate from invasive plants to belowground foodwebs. Methods: Using stable isotopes, we quantify the proportion of recent-photosynthate transferred belowground from the invasive grass Microstegium vimineum A. Camus, a widespread invader of forest understory. Given its minimal root biomass (~8 % of individual mass), we expected exudation to contribute little to belowground foodwebs. Results: Within 2 days of 13C-labeling, we recover ~15 % of photosynthate carbon in microbial biomass. Recovery in root and dissolved organic carbon pools is consistently low (\textless2 %), suggesting these pools operate as 'pipelines' for carbon transport to soil microbes. The recovery of the label in wolf spiders - forest floor predators that feed on soil animals - highlights that root inputs of recent photosynthate can propagate rapidly through belowground foodwebs. Conclusions: Our results suggest that root carbon-exudation, an unexplored process of invasive grass inputs to forest foodwebs, may be an important pathway through which invasive species affect the structure and function of recipient ecosystems. ? 2012 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
@article{bradford_root_2012,
	title = {Root carbon flow from an invasive plant to belowground foodwebs},
	volume = {359},
	copyright = {All rights reserved},
	doi = {10.1007/s11104-012-1210-y},
	abstract = {Aims: Soil foodwebs are based on plant production. This production enters belowground foodwebs via numerous pathways, with root pathways likely dominating supply. Indeed, root exudation may fuel 30-50 \% of belowground activity with photosynthate fixed only hours earlier. Yet we have limited knowledge of root fluxes of recent-photosynthate from invasive plants to belowground foodwebs. Methods: Using stable isotopes, we quantify the proportion of recent-photosynthate transferred belowground from the invasive grass Microstegium vimineum A. Camus, a widespread invader of forest understory. Given its minimal root biomass ({\textasciitilde}8 \% of individual mass), we expected exudation to contribute little to belowground foodwebs. Results: Within 2 days of 13C-labeling, we recover {\textasciitilde}15 \% of photosynthate carbon in microbial biomass. Recovery in root and dissolved organic carbon pools is consistently low ({\textless}2 \%), suggesting these pools operate as 'pipelines' for carbon transport to soil microbes. The recovery of the label in wolf spiders - forest floor predators that feed on soil animals - highlights that root inputs of recent photosynthate can propagate rapidly through belowground foodwebs. Conclusions: Our results suggest that root carbon-exudation, an unexplored process of invasive grass inputs to forest foodwebs, may be an important pathway through which invasive species affect the structure and function of recipient ecosystems. ? 2012 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.},
	number = {1-2},
	journal = {Plant and Soil},
	author = {Bradford, M.A. and Strickland, M.S. and DeVore, J.L. and Maerz, J.C.},
	year = {2012},
	keywords = {Exotic species, Microstegium vi, [Detrital foodweb},
	pages = {233--244},
}

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