Effects of Clipping an Invasive Plant Species on the Growth of Planted Plants of Two Co-Occurring Species in a Greenhouse Study.

The restoration of native plants in invaded habitats is constrained with the presence of highly competitive exotic species. Aboveground removal, such as clipping or mowing, of invasive plants is required for successful restoration. The effects of clipping an invasive plant species, , grown at five densities (1-5 plants per pot), and planting two co-occurring and competitive species, and , on the growth of both the invasive species and the co-occurring species were investigated in a greenhouse experiment. The established suppressed the growth of planted seedlings with 47.8-94.4% reduction in biomass, with stronger effects at higher densities; clipping significantly reduced 97.5-97.4% of biomass of and ameliorated the suppression effects (with only 8.7-52.7% reduction in biomass of the co-occurring plants), irrespective of density. Both the aboveground and belowground part of contributed to its suppression effects on planted co-occurring species. Seed sowing of co-occurring species reduced the belowground growth, but not the underground growth of . appeared to be more effective at reducing the growth of than . Therefore, clipping together with planting competitive species that can overcome the belowground priority effects of could be a promising strategy for controlling invasion and restoring native plant communities.