SOIL PROPERTY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN INVADED CASUARINA (Casuarina equisetifolia L.) SITES AND NON-CASUARINA SITES IN THE BAHAMAS

Casuarina (Casuarina equisetifolia) is a problematic invasive species within the Bahamas, associated with numerous environmental problems. Previous studies suggest casuarinas establish ecologically sterile monocultures, yet there is limited research on whether soils from casuarina-dominated sites differ physically or chemically from comparable soils under native vegetation. Because of the lack of knowledge and because this invader has the potential to be detrimental to native ecosystems, we conducted a study to examine differences in soil properties between sites where casuarinas dominated versus sites where casuarinas were absent. Soils at casuarina-dominated sites had lower potassium, phosphorus, and organic matter concentrations and had lower pH levels. But, casuarina-dominated sites had significantly higher leaf-litter abundances. No significant differences between soils were detected for calcium concentrations, magnesium concentrations, cation exchange capacity, nitrate-nitrogen concentrations, or soil moisture levels. A multivariate ordination showed that casuarina-dominated soils were more similar to one another than to non-casuarina soils. Thus, soil characteristics from casuarina-dominated areas appear to differ from comparable habitats devoid of casuarinas. There are at least two possible explanations: certain soil properties may have been more conducive to casuarina invasions, or casuarinas may have modified their soils once they became established. The results of this study provide insights into the invasion process and add to our understanding of how these invaders affect native Bahamian ecosystems.