Soil biota affect mycorrhizal infection and growth ofImpatiens capensisand alter the effects ofLonicera maackiirhizosphere extracts1

Abstract

Abstract Invasive plant species are one of the leading threats to the structure and function of native ecosystems. Increased attention has been given to the mechanisms that drive successful invasions, including those influencing belowground interactions between invasive and native plant species. To determine how the prominent invasive shrub Lonicera maackii (Rupr.) Herder affects a co-occurring native plant, we examined how a root/rhizosphere extract from L. maackii affected growth and mycorrhizal infection of Impatiens capensis Meerb. using epifluorescence microscopy of live roots. We also examined how the presence of a live soil microbial community influenced growth and mycorrhizal infection of I. capensis and how it the altered the effect of L. maackii extracts on these variables. In live soils, exposure to L. maackii extracts reduced mycorrhizal infection, reduced height, and slightly reduced shoot mass. In sterilized soils, exposure to L. maackii extracts slightly increased mycorrhizal infection, red...