Soil property differences between invaded casuarina (Casuarina equisetifolia L.) sites and non-casuarina sites in the Bahamas

Auteur(s) et Affiliation(s)



Description :
Casuarina (Casuarina equisetifolia) is a problematic invasive species within the Bahamas, associated with environmental problems. On San Salvador Island, soil properties including leaf litter abundance, organic matter content, soil pH, soil moisture content, and plant macronutrients were compared between sites where casuarinas dominated versus sites where casuarinas were absent. A multivariate ordination showed that casuarina-dominated soils were more similar to one another than to non-casuarina soils. Thus, soil characteristics from casuarina-dominated areas appear to differ from comparable habitats devoid of casuarinas. There are at least 2 possible explanations : certain soil properties may have been more conducive to casuarina invasions, or casuarinas may have modified their soils once they became established. The results of this study provide insights into the invasion process.


Type de document :
Article de périodique

Source :
Physical geography, issn : 0272-3646, 2012, vol. 33, n°. 6, p. 574-588, nombre de pages : 15, Références bibliographiques : 3 p.

Date :
2012

Editeur :
Pays édition : Royaume-Uni, Abingdon, Taylor and Francis