Like A Bull In A China Wetland?

This one is too interesting to wait for the next "New In The Literature" post...While trolling Science Direct for articles today, I came across this abstract:

"Inter-specific competition: Spartina alterniflora is replacing previous Spartina anglica in coastal China." 2007. Zhi et al. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 74(3): 437-448.

Wow - Spartina alterniflora (smooth cord grass) really gets around, doesn't it? Native to the east coast of the U.S., this grass has traveled far and wide, invading wetlands from the west coast of the U.S. to the U.K. and all the way to the Far East. In China, where S. alterniflora arrived in the 1970s, the species is now replacing Spartina anglica, an invasive cousin whose populations have been notably dwindling since the 1990s. The study shows that S. alterniflora is outcompeting S. anglica in almost every physiological way: biomass, height, roots, leaf area...the list goes on and on. The older invader could be getting pushed right out of its niche.

Unfortunately, you're stuck with just the abstract of this article unless you or your library has a subscription to Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science...or you can click on the little envelope by the author's name and ask for a reprint.