An Allee Effect at the Front of a Plant Invasion: Spartina in a Pacific Estuary

• Published in: The Journal of ecology 2004-04, Vol.92 (2), p.321-327
• Main Authors: Davis, Heather G., Taylor, Caz M., Civille, Janie C., Strong, Donald R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Allee effect; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Biodiversity; Biological and medical sciences; Brackish; Demecology; Density; Ecological invasion; Florets; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Germination; Grasses; Human ecology; Inflorescences; invasive species; Marine; Meadows; Plant ecology; Plants; Plants and fungi; Pollen; Population ecology; reproduction; Seed set; Spartina alterniflora
• ISSN: 0022-0477; 1365-2745
• DOI: 10.1111/j.0022-0477.2004.00873.x

1 Spartina alterniflora sets very little viable seed at the leading edges of an invasion in Willapa Bay, Washington, USA, where it was introduced c. 100 years ago. This largely outbreeding, rhizomatous grass recruits into previously unoccupied areas at low density, so young plants initially grow isolated from one another but eventually coalesce to form continuous meadows. 2 Isolated recruits set approximately one-tenth the seed of meadow plants at five sites, spread over the 230 km2of Willapa Bay mudflats, and this seed germinated at only one-third the rate observed in meadow plants. 3 The consistent patterns suggested that the low seed set in the isolated plants was largely due to the demographic effects of density. Differences between sites in the incidence and amount of seed set and germination rate indicated, however, that there was some environmental influence. 4 These data imply that plants in newly invaded, low-density areas produce little viable seed until rhizomatous growth brings them into close contact. This Allee effect could substantially reduce the rate of invasion.