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).