Effect of Parasitic Native Plant on Growth and Competitive Ability of Two Invasive Xanthium Plants.

The competitive ability of invasive plants is a key factor in their successful invasion, and research on this ability of invasive plants can provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and control of invasive plants. This study used , , and as research materials and conducted outdoor controlled pot experiments to compare and study the changes in the biomass, competitiveness, and growth cycle of and parasitized by at different growth stages. The results showed that (1) parasitism by increased the biomass of and decreased that of , but under parasitism, the root cap ratio of and increased, and the fruit biomass ratio decreased, indicating that and reduced the energy input for reproduction and increased the energy input for nutrient growth to resist the impact of parasitism; (2) the relative competitive intensity calculated based on the total biomass of a single plant showed a negative value for during parasitism at the flowering and fruit stages, indicating an increase in competitive ability, and showed a positive value during parasitism at the seedling and flowering stages, indicating a decrease in competitive ability; and (3) the parasitism of significantly shortened the fruit stage of and , leading to a significant advance in their flowering, fruiting, and fruit ripening times.

Effects of Different Degrees of Invasion on the Invasibility of Plant Communities in the Yili Grassland of Northwest China.

Studying the effects of different degrees of exotic plant invasion on native plants' community structure and plant diversity is essential for evaluating the harm caused to ecosystems by plant invasion. In this study, we investigated the effects of , a widespread invasive species, on plant community species diversity and community stability in the Ili River Valley area of Xinjiang, China, under three invasion levels (no invasion and low, moderate, and heavy invasion), and the competitive advantage index, invasion intensity, and contribution of plant community species diversity to community stability and invasibility were determined for the prickly fungus under different degrees of invasion. The results show that there were significant differences ( < 0.