caa a22 4500 445383542 CHVBK 20180317143024.0 cr unu---uuuuu 170323e20110901xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s10021-011-9453-7 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s10021-011-9453-7 Understory Invasion by Acacia longifolia Alters the Water Balance and Carbon Gain of a Mediterranean Pine Forest [Elektronische Daten] [Katherine Rascher, André Große-Stoltenberg, Cristina Máguas, Christiane Werner] In water-limited ecosystems, where potential evapotranspiration exceeds precipitation, it is often assumed that plant invasions will not increase total ecosystem water use, because all available water is evaporated or transpired regardless of vegetation type. However, invasion by exotic species, with high water use rates, may potentially alter ecosystem water balance by reducing water available to native species, which may in turn impact carbon assimilation and productivity of co-occurring species. Here, we document the impact of invasion by an understory exotic woody species (Acacia longifolia) in a semi-arid Mediterranean dune pine forest. To quantify the effects of this understory leguminous tree on the water use and carbon fixation rates of Pinus pinaster we compare an invaded and a non-invaded stand. A.longifolia significantly altered forest structure by increasing plant density and leaf area index in the mid-stratum of the invaded forest. A.longifolia contributed significantly to transpiration in the invaded forest (up to 42%) resulting in a slight increase in stand transpiration in the invaded relative to non-invaded forest. More importantly, both water use and carbon assimilation rates of P.pinaster were significantly reduced in the invaded relative to non-invaded stand. Therefore, this study shows that exotic plant invasions can have significant impacts on hydrological and carbon cycling even in water-limited semi-arid ecosystems through a repartitioning of water resources between the native and the invasive species. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, 2011 competition nationallicence delta 13-C nationallicence ecohydrology nationallicence invasion ecology nationallicence Mediterranean nationallicence nitrogen nationallicence Pinus pinaster nationallicence sap flux nationallicence transpiration nationallicence water cycle nationallicence Rascher Katherine Experimental and Systems Ecology, University of Bielefeld, Universitätstr. 25, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany aut Große-Stoltenberg André Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany aut Máguas Cristina Centre for Environmental Biology (CBA), University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal aut Werner Christiane Experimental and Systems Ecology, University of Bielefeld, Universitätstr. 25, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany aut Ecosystems Springer-Verlag 14/6(2011-09-01), 904-919 1432-9840 14:6<904 2011 14 10021 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-011-9453-7 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-011-9453-7 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Rascher Katherine Experimental and Systems Ecology, University of Bielefeld, Universitätstr. 25, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Große-Stoltenberg André Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Máguas Cristina Centre for Environmental Biology (CBA), University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Werner Christiane Experimental and Systems Ecology, University of Bielefeld, Universitätstr. 25, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Ecosystems Springer-Verlag 14/6(2011-09-01), 904-919 1432-9840 14:6<904 2011 14 10021 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer