Biomass allocation in response to salinity and competition in native and invasive species

Biomass allocation to different plant parts affects the subsequent capture rate of resources and reproduction. Thus, many studies have been conducted on the biomass allocation to learn growth, reproduction and competitive ability of plants. However, few researches have explored how biomass allocation responses to non-resource factor and interspecific competition over time. We experimentally investigated the effects of soil salinity and competition on root:shoot ratio (RS), reproductive effort (RE; seed biomass:total biomass ratio), the relationship between belowground and aboveground biomass, the relationship between reproductive and vegetative biomass, growth, and reproduction of invasive Spartina alterniflora and native Phragmites australis. The biomass of P. australis decreased with increasing salinity, whereas that of S. alterniflora did not significantly change. The reproduction of P. australis decreased with increasing salinity under competitive conditions, and that of S. alternif...