Reproductive effort in invasive and non-invasive Rubus
Susan C McDowell1, David P Turner2
1Environmental Science Program, Oregon State University, 321 Richardson Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA. smcdowell@cats.ucsc.edu.
Oecologia
|May 27, 2017
Summary
The invasive Rubus discolor minimizes photosynthesis reduction during reproduction, unlike the non-invasive Rubus ursinus. This allows the invasive species to have lower reproductive effort, potentially explaining its success.
Area of Science:
- Plant physiology
- Ecology
- Invasive species biology
Background:
- Reproduction incurs physiological costs, impacting plant resource allocation and photosynthesis.
- Understanding these costs is crucial for differentiating native and invasive species strategies.
- Two closely related Rubus species, one invasive (R. discolor) and one non-invasive (R. ursinus), coexist in the Pacific Northwest.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the physiological costs of reproduction in R. ursinus and R. discolor.
- To compare the total resource allocation to reproduction between the two species.
- To investigate how reproductive effort influences photosynthesis and water-use efficiency.
Main Methods:
- Manipulated reproductive effort by removing flower buds in both Rubus species.
- Measured leaf water potential (Ψ), stomatal conductance (gs), leaf nitrogen ([N]), and photosynthesis (A).
- Inferred water-use efficiency using stable carbon isotopes (δ13C) and modeled total gross photosynthesis (Agross).
Main Results:
- R. ursinus experienced increased water stress, reduced [N], and decreased photosynthesis (A) and water-use efficiency during reproduction.
- R. discolor showed no significant physiological changes related to reproduction.
- Reproduction caused a greater decline in Agross for R. ursinus than for R. discolor, despite R. discolor allocating more resources to flowers/fruit.
Conclusions:
- R. discolor, the invasive species, exhibits lower reproductive effort and minimizes photosynthetic reduction during reproduction.
- This efficient resource allocation strategy may contribute to the invasive success of R. discolor.
- Minimizing reproductive trade-offs allows the invasive species to sustain vegetative growth and reproduction more effectively.
Keywords:
BlackberryCosts of reproductionPhotosynthetic capacityStomatal conductanceWater-use efficiencyMore Related Videos
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