Effects of Ageratina adenophora Invasion on the Understory Community and Soil Phosphorus Characteristics of Different Forest Types in Southwest China

Understanding the influence of invasive species on community composition and ecosystem properties is necessary to maintain ecosystem functions. However, little is known about how understory plant communities and soil nutrients respond to invasion under different land cover types. Here, we investigated the effects of the invasive species Ageratina adenophora on the species and functional diversity of understory communities and on soil phosphorus (P) status in three forest types: CF, coniferous forest; MF, coniferous and broadleaf mixed forest; and EBF, evergreen broadleaf forest. We found that the species and functional diversity indices of the understory community significantly varied by forest type. Among the invaded plots, the greatest decrease in functional diversity (functional richness, functional divergence, and functional dispersion) and biotic homogenization were found in the CF rather than the MF or EBF. In addition, the invasion by A. adenophora significantly increased the soil NaHCO3-extractable inorganic P and organic P in the MF and EBF, respectively, while obviously decreasing the soil maximum P sorption capacity and maximum buffering capacity in the CF. However, the changes in the species and functional attributes of the understory communities were weakly associated with changes in the soil P status, probably because of the different response times to invasion in different forest types. The implication of these changes for ecosystem structure and function must be separately considered when predicting and managing invasion at a landscape scale.