EGU2020-11472
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-11472
EGU General Assembly 2020
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Stable isotopes as early indicators of high impact after plant invasion: A remote sensing perspective

André Große-Stoltenberg1, Christine Hellmann2, Jan Thiele3, Jens Oldeland4, and Christiane Werner5
André Große-Stoltenberg et al.
  • 1Landscape Ecology and Landscape Planning, iFZ Research Centre for Biosystems, Land Use and Nutrition, Justus-Liebig University Gießen, Gießen, Germany (andre.grosse-stoltenberg@umwelt.uni-giessen.de)
  • 2Ecosystem Physiology, Albert-Ludwigs University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany (chellmann@uni-bielefeld.de)
  • 3Institute for Biodiversity, Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute, Braunschweig, Germany (jan.thiele@thuenen.de
  • 4Biodiversity, Evolution and Ecology of Plants (BEE) Institute for Plant Science and Microbiology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg (jens.oldeland@uni-hamburg.de)
  • 5Ecosystem Physiology, Albert-Ludwigs University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany (c.werner@cep.uni-freiburg.de)

High impact invasive plant species, such as the N-fixing and water-spending tree Acacia longifolia, are a major threat to ecosystem functioning worldwide. For example, Acacia's impact on nutrient and water-cycling in Mediterranean dune ecosystems is well understood. However, early detection of such impacts remains challenging. Therefore, novel approaches are required to map functional indicators of high invader impact. Here, we tested in a real world context if the stable isotopes δ13C and δ15N could be such mappable indicators. First, we show that A. longifolia differs regarding its biochemical leaf traits from the native species of the same growth form particularly regarding leaf N content as well as δ13C and δ15N. This may indicate a high impact on N and water cycling, and can be retrieved from hyperspectral data. Second, the impact of the invader on N cycling was mapped joining the spatial distribution of δ15N with airborne laserscanning data. Foliar δ15N of a non-fixing, native species increased in vicinity of invasive stands indicating an uptake of N previously fixed by the invader. Finally, those impacts possibly result in an increase of productivity of the whole dune ecosystem even when invader cover is low. This increase can be mapped integrating hyperspectral imagery with LiDAR data. Thus, there is potential to retrieve functional indicators of high impact including stable isotopes using remote sensing.

How to cite: Große-Stoltenberg, A., Hellmann, C., Thiele, J., Oldeland, J., and Werner, C.: Stable isotopes as early indicators of high impact after plant invasion: A remote sensing perspective, EGU General Assembly 2020, Online, 4–8 May 2020, EGU2020-11472, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-11472, 2020

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