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The biodiversity of deserts is becoming increasingly threatened due to global change including the introduction of invasive species. Desert shrubs are foundational species that can facilitate native plant communities but can also benefit exotic species. The influence of exotic plants on the establishment of benefactors from seeds or seedlings is a critical knowledge gap. We tested if the establishment, survival, or growth of seedlings for a benefactor shrub species in California was reduced by the invasive grasses that they facilitate in the field.

San Joaquin Desert, California, USA.

We conducted a field survey to determine if a native shrub, Ephedra californica, facilitated the invasive grass Bromus madritensis. Using seed collected from the field, we conducted a competition experiment on Ephedra californica, using a densities series of Bromus madritensis and under manipulated …