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Causes of differences in the distribution of the invasive plants Ambrosia artemisiifolia and Ambrosia trifida in the Yili Valley, China
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  • hegan dong,
  • Tong Liu,
  • Zhongquan Liu,
  • Yan Liu,
  • Zhanli Song,
  • Baoxiong Chen,
  • Qianqian Ma,
  • Zhigang Li
hegan dong
Shihezi University

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Tong Liu
Shihezi University
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Zhongquan Liu
Yili Vocational and Technical College
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Yan Liu
Shihezi University
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Zhanli Song
Yili State Forestry Academy
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Baoxiong Chen
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People’s Republic of China
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Qianqian Ma
Shihezi University
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Zhigang Li
The First Affiliated Hospital of Shihezi University Medical College
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Abstract

Ambrosia artemisiifolia and Ambrosia trifida are two species of very harmful and invasive plants of the same genus. However, it remains unclear why A. artemisiifolia is more widely distributed than A. trifida worldwide. Distribution and abundance of these two species were surveyed and measured from 2010 to 2017 in the Yili Valley, Xinjiang, China. Soil temperature and humidity, main companion species, the biological characteristics in farmland ecotone, residential area, roadside and grassland, and water demand of the two species were determined and studied from 2017 to 2018. The area occupied by A. artemisiifolia in the Yili Valley was more extensive than that of A. trifida, while the abundance of A. artemisiifolia in grassland was less than that of A. trifida at eight years after invasion. The interspecific competitive ability of two species were stronger than those of companion species in farmland ecotone, residential, and roadside. In addition, A. trifida had greater interspecific competitive ability than other plant species in grassland. The seed size and seed weight of A. trifida were five times or eight times those of A.artemisiifolia. When comparing the changes under simulated annual precipitation of 840 mm versus 280 mm, the seed yield per m2 of A. trifida decreased from 50,185 to 19, while that of A. artemisiifolia decreased from 15,579 to 530. The differences in the distribution of the two species are mainly due to differences in interspecific competitive ability, seed size, and water dependence. The two species have stronger interspecific competitive ability than that of companion species, but A. artemisiifolia has a smaller seed size and stronger drought tolerance, which allows A. artemisiifolia to spread farther than A. trifida. The reason for wider distribution of A. trifida in grassland is that A. trifida has stronger interspecific competitive ability than A. artemisiifolia under sufficient water.
08 Aug 2020Submitted to Ecology and Evolution
08 Aug 2020Submission Checks Completed
08 Aug 2020Assigned to Editor
27 Aug 2020Reviewer(s) Assigned
15 Sep 2020Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
16 Sep 2020Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
16 Sep 20201st Revision Received
17 Sep 2020Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
17 Sep 2020Submission Checks Completed
17 Sep 2020Assigned to Editor
17 Sep 2020Editorial Decision: Accept
18 Oct 2020Published in Ecology and Evolution. 10.1002/ece3.6902