Differences in the effects of defoliation on the elongation and
survival of stems between the invasive and native species
Under controlled environmental conditions, the average elongation rate
of stems of M. micrantha was significantly greater than that ofP. nil and P. scandens but was not significantly different
from that of P. lobata (Figure 3a). With the removal of leaves,
the stem elongation rates of all the species decreased by varying
degrees, and those of M. micrantha were 0.91-9.07 times higher
than those of the three native species. On day 30 of defoliation, the
survival rate of the M. micrantha plants reached 100%, while
those of native species ranged from 10%-90% (Figure 3b).