Contrasting mycorrhizal growth responses in native and invasive woody species are associated with distinct root trait syndromes

Invasive plant species often express resource-acquisitive leaf traits that support rapid growth, but associated fine root traits and the role of microbial mutualists in invader whole-plant functioning remains poorly understood.
We performed an experiment of 12 phylogenetically-grouped native and non-native, invasive woody species, grown with or without a common inoculum of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) across two nutrient levels. We measured 10 fine root traits associated with nutrient uptake and suitability of AMF colonization.
The presence of AMF increased the growth rate of all species, but native species were significantly more dependent on AMF than invaders. Further, invaders expressed a distinct syndrome of first-order root traits, including longer, thinner roots of high specific root length, greater branching intensity, and lower tissue density, which are traits associated with rapid nutrient uptake and low AMF association. This syndrome was independent of phylogeny, AMF in..., ,

入侵植物通常具备支撑快速生长的资源获取型叶片性状，但目前学界对其相关细根性状，以及微生物共生体在入侵植物整株功能中的作用仍知之甚少。
本研究针对12个经系统发育分组的本土及非本土入侵木本植物开展实验，设置两个养分水平，分别接种或不接种通用丛枝菌根真菌（arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi，AMF）接种剂。我们测定了10项与养分吸收及AMF定殖适宜性相关的细根性状。
AMF接种可提升所有供试植物的生长速率，但本土植物对AMF的依赖程度显著高于入侵植物。
此外，入侵植物呈现出独特的一级根性状综合征：根更长更细、比根长更高、分枝强度更大，且组织密度更低——这类性状通常与快速养分吸收及低AMF关联度相关。该性状综合征与系统发育背景及AMF相关，