Distribution of N and recently fixed C among a common mycorrhizal network linking an invasive plant, Solidago canadensis, and a native plant, Kummerowia striata

Abstract The invasive plant species, Solidago canadensis, often shares a common mycorrhizal network (CMN) with native plant species in southeast China. We ask whether the transfer of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) among the invasive S. canadensis , the native Kummerowia striata and their CMN could contribute to the invasiveness of S. canadensis . We conducted a microcosm experiment in which a CMN was established on S. canadensis and K. striata . We used 13 CO 2 pulse‐labelling to quantify the relative contribution of recently fixed C from the two host species to the CMN. We also calculated the relative N distribution to each host species from the CMN. We found that 89% of the recently fixed C in the CMN originated from S. canadensis , while 11% originated from K. striata. We also found that the CMN distributed 77% of the N it absorbed to S. canadensis and 23% to K. striata . Our results suggest that the unequal distribution of N from a CMN to the invasive and native plant species is related to the unequal contribution of C from the plant species. This mechanism could contribute to invasion of native communities by alien species when there is a stoichiometric exchange of limiting nutrients for C, and when alien species contribute more C to the CMN than natives. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.