Plant functional types - Competitors. e.g. giant reed (𝘈𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘰 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘹)

Part of a series showing examples of plant functional types according to Grime's CSR (Competitor, Stress-tolerator and Ruderal) plant ecological strategy scheme. In this example, a 'competitor' or C-selected species, the giant reed (𝘈𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘰 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘹: Poaceae), a ‘large-statured invasive grass’ growing in agricultural settings (field margins and roadsides) in northern Italy.
Competitor species are adapted to stable, resource rich habitats (plenty of light, nutrients and water) by getting large fast, allowing them to pre-empt resources and exclude other plants. Large-leaved plants exhibit intermediate resource economics (i.e. they are neither extremely acquisitive nor extremely conservative); part of a three-way trade-off fundamental to plant functioning and adaptation. Indeed, the competitor strategy is not effective where there is regular disturbance (lethal biomass removal) or stress (limitations to metabolism restraining growth) and acquisitive vs. conservative economics, respectively, confer fitness. This is where Grime's wider CSR scheme helps us to understand plant adaptation.
𝗙𝘂𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁: the giant reed was originally native to the Middle East, but was introduced worldwide for erosion control, screening of outdoor bathing, as an ornamental and as a biofuel. 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝘂𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁: the giant reed has one of the highest rates of photosynthesis of any plant, and can grow up to 10 cm a day, which has allowed it to become one of the most aggressive invasive species in riparian (riverside) zones in the United States!
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱.
𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: Grime JP. 1974. Vegetation classification by reference to strategies. Nature 250(5461), 26-31. DOI: 10.1038/250026a0. www.nature.com...
Grime JP. 1977. Evidence for the existence of three primary strategies in plants and its relevance to ecological and evolutionary theory. The American Naturalist 111(982), 1169-1194. DOI: 10.1086/283244. www.journals.u...
Grime JP & Pierce S. 2012. The Evolutionary Strategies that Shape Ecosystems. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. ISBN:9780470674819, DOI:10.1002/9781118223246. onlinelibrary....
Lambert AM, Dudley TL, Saltonstall K. 2010. Ecology and impacts of the large-statured invasive grasses 𝘈𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘰 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘹 and 𝘗𝘩𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴 in North America. Invasive Plant Science and Management 3(4):489-494. www.cambridge....
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗦𝗥 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺:
Pierce S & Cerabolini BEL. 2018. Plant economics and size trait spectra are both explained by one theory. Economics and Size in Ecology. The Plant Press, Milan. www.researchga...