Photosynthetic Characteristics of the C4 Invasive Exotic Grass Miscanthus sinensis Andersson Growing Along Gradients of Light Intensity in the Southeastern United States

Author:

Jonathan L. Horton

Additional Authors:

Renee Fortner Maya Goklany

Published:

Keywords:

invasive, photosynthesis

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ABSTRACT Miscanthus sinens is a C4grass, is an emerging invasive species in open and edge habitats throughout the eastern United States. To assess its ability to invade forest understories, we examined photosynthetic responses of Miscanthus sinensis grown under natural light gradients(5% to 100% full sunlight). Although there was a slight reduction in reproductive output under lower light, Miscanthus sinensiswas able to maintain high rates of photosynthesis and positive carbon gain along the entire light gradient.