Urgenson et al 2009 giant knotweed implications

From Salish Sea Wiki


Urgenson, L.S., Reichard, S.H. and Halpern, C.B., 2009. Community and ecosystem consequences of giant knotweed (Polygonum sachalinense) invasion into riparian forests of western Washington, USA. Biological Conservation, 142(7), pp.1536-1541.

Notes

  • Knotweed excludes native ground vegetation
  • Nitrogen recovery from stems to roots at the end of the growing season is extremely efficient (70%) compared to 5-33% in native vegetation.
  • Knotweed litter has a higher C:N ratio of 50:1 compared to 30-40:1 among native trees, while fresh leaves have a high C:N ratio (~13:1)