An invading annual plant benefits less from soil biota and has reduced competitive power with a resident grass

Abstract Aims Interactions between plants and their soil biota, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in particular, may play a vital role the establishment range expansion of exotic new environments. However, whether there are post-introduction shifts dependence on AMF how dependency interacts with competition remains poorly understood. Methods We conducted common garden greenhouse experiment to examine native (USA) invasive (China) populations plant species Plantago virginica, respond these responses change presence competitor. Important Findings found that while consistently had higher colonization rate benefited from both biomass seed production, received less benefit AMF, even showed reduced This low correlated greater suppression by an indigenous competitor for invader. The different suggest alteration has occurred during invasion P. virginica into China. Our findings this incurs cost interspecific competition.