Parasitism induces negative effects of clonal integration in the invasive plant Sphagneticola trilobata regardless of nutrient heterogeneity
- 1Shandong Key Laboratory of Eco-Environmental Science for the Yellow River Delta, Shandong University of Aeronautics
- 2Tianjin Key Laboratory of Animal and Plant Resistance, College of Life Sciences, Tianjin Normal University
Abstract
Introduction: Clonal integration typically enhances the fitness of clonal plants in heterogeneous resource environments, whereas it reduces fitness under parasitic stress. However, it remains unclear whether parasitic stress interacts with nutrient heterogeneity to affect the ecological effects of clonal integration.
Methods: We conducted a greenhouse pot experiment using the invasive clonal plant Sphagneticola trilobata , with or without one ramet parasitized by Cuscuta chinensis , and with or without severing the connection (allowing or preventing integration), under heterogeneous or homogeneous nutrient supply, combined with ¹⁵ N tracing.
Results and discussion: Our results showed that (1) compared with the severed treatment, the connection treatment significantly increased C. chinensis biomass and markedly decreased the biomass of connected but unparasitized ramets, but did not affect the biomass of directly parasitized ramets, ultimately leading to a significant decrease in the total biomass of clonal fragments of S. trilobata ; (2) heterogeneous nutrient supply significantly intensified the detrimental effect of C. chinensis on parasitized ramets, but did not significantly affect connected unparasitized ramets; and (3) neither nutrient heterogeneity nor parasitism by C. chinensis affected the amount of ¹⁵ N translocated among ramets. Collectively, these findings indicate that under parasitic stress, clonal integration has detrimental effects on plant fitness. Nutrient heterogeneity intensified the negative effects on parasitized ramets in poor patches but did not alter the detrimental effects on whole clonal fragments. Thus, C. chinensis suppresses S. trilobata consistently across nutrient conditions, supporting its potential as a biocontrol agent.
Related
- The tolerance of Sphagneticola trilobata and its hybrid to cadmium stress.
- Spatiotemporal Heterogeneity of HPV Integration Architectures Drive Oncogenic Features of Oropharyngeal Cancer
- Mitochondrial rearrangement and adaptive evolution in whale lice (Amphipoda): molecular signatures of obligate parasitism
- Host-Plant-Mediated Effects on the Demography, Parasitism Rates and Functional Response of Bracon hebetor on Spodoptera frugiperda
- Parasitism to mutualism shift during a viral infection in Drosophila under thermal stress
BibTeX
@article{wu2026parasitism,
title = {{Parasitism induces negative effects of clonal integration in the invasive plant Sphagneticola trilobata regardless of nutrient heterogeneity}},
author = {Tian-Xiu Wu and Sai Zhang and Jiangbao Xia and Fang-Lei Gao},
journal = {Frontiers in Plant Science},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fpls.2026.1947645},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2026.1947645/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Parasitism induces negative effects of clonal integration in the invasive plant Sphagneticola trilobata regardless of nutrient heterogeneity
AU - Tian-Xiu Wu
AU - Sai Zhang
AU - Jiangbao Xia
AU - Fang-Lei Gao
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/06
JO - Frontiers in Plant Science
DO - 10.3389/fpls.2026.1947645
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2026.1947645/full
AB - Introduction: Clonal integration typically enhances the fitness of clonal plants in heterogeneous resource environments, whereas it reduces fitness under parasitic stress. However, it remains unclear whether parasitic stress interacts with nutrient heterogeneity to affect the ecological effects of clonal integration. Methods: We conducted a greenhouse pot experiment using the invasive clonal plant Sphagneticola trilobata , with or without one ramet parasitized by Cuscuta chinensis , and with or without severing the connection (allowing or preventing integration), under heterogeneous or homogeneous nutrient supply, combined with ¹⁵ N tracing. Results and discussion: Our results showed that (1) compared with the severed treatment, the connection treatment significantly increased C. chinensis biomass and markedly decreased the biomass of connected but unparasitized ramets, but did not affect the biomass of directly parasitized ramets, ultimately leading to a significant decrease in the total biomass of clonal fragments of S. trilobata ; (2) heterogeneous nutrient supply significantly intensified the detrimental effect of C. chinensis on parasitized ramets, but did not significantly affect connected unparasitized ramets; and (3) neither nutrient heterogeneity nor parasitism by C. chinensis affected the amount of ¹⁵ N translocated among ramets. Collectively, these findings indicate that under parasitic stress, clonal integration has detrimental effects on plant fitness. Nutrient heterogeneity intensified the negative effects on parasitized ramets in poor patches but did not alter the detrimental effects on whole clonal fragments. Thus, C. chinensis suppresses S. trilobata consistently across nutrient conditions, supporting its potential as a biocontrol agent.
SN - 1664-462X
ER -