The invasive plant, Brassica nigra, degrades local mycorrhizas across a wide geographical landscape

Abstract

Disruption of mycorrhizal fungi that form symbioses with local native plants is a strategy used by some invasive exotic plants for competing within their resident communities. Example invasive plants include Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard) and Brassica nigra (black mustard), both non-mycorrhizal plants in the Family Brassicaceae. Although there is clear evidence for mycorrhizal degradation, it is not known if such an effect is widespread across the naturalized range. In this study, we tested the ability of black mustard to degrade the local mycorrhizal symbiosis and supress the growth of native flora from across a variety of locations where black mustard has invaded. We found that the effects on mycorrhizal fungi and on the growth of native plants were consistently negative at the various sites. The present results indicate that degradation of the mycorrhizal symbiosis by black mustard is of general significance, and may be highly problematic considering the large range that it has occupied in open fields across North America.