Seed source regions drive fitness differences in invasive macrophytes
Morgane B Gillard1, Rebecca E Drenovsky2, Gabrielle Thiébaut3
1USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Invasive Species and Pollinator Health Research Unit, Department of Plant Sciences MS-4, University of California, Davis, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
American Journal of Botany
|May 15, 2020
Summary
Invasive plant L. peploides subsp. montevidensis showed that seedlings performing best originated from climates similar to their parent populations. This finding aids in managing invasive species under changing environmental conditions.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Plant Science
Background:
- Global changes and biological invasions pose significant threats to ecosystems worldwide.
- Invasive species' establishment is influenced by novel climatic conditions in new environments.
- Understanding functional trait and fitness responses of invasive populations from diverse origins is crucial for assessing climate change impacts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare trait responses of invasive plants (L. peploides subsp. montevidensis) derived from sexual propagules from three distinct climatic regions.
- To evaluate how different source environments influence plant performance under common conditions.
- To investigate colonization dynamics from sexual propagules, a less-studied aspect of macrophyte invasion.
Main Methods:
- Seeds of L. peploides subsp. montevidensis were collected from oceanic France (OFR), mediterranean France (MFR), and mediterranean California (MCA).
- Seedlings were grown to the reproductive stage in experimental mesocosms simulating a mediterranean California (MCA) climate.
- Functional traits and fitness components were measured to assess performance differences among source populations.
Main Results:
- Seed source region significantly influenced the trait responses of invasive L. peploides subsp. montevidensis recruits.
- Plants from the MCA and OFR source regions, being climatically distinct, exhibited the most divergent trait responses.
- MCA individuals showed greater biomass accumulation, earlier flowering, and higher leaf nitrogen concentration compared to OFR individuals; MFR individuals were intermediate.
Conclusions:
- Seedling performance is positively correlated with the climatic similarity to their parental climate.
- This study offers novel insights into the colonization strategies of invasive plant species.
- Findings inform management strategies for invasive species facing novel and changing environmental conditions.
Keywords:
MERRAclim bioclimatic variablesOnagraceaebiological invasionsclimate changecreeping water primroseenvironmental nicheinvasion ecologyplant traitssexual reproductionMore Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
02:39Gene Flow
37.2K
Gene flow is the transfer of genes among populations, resulting from either the dispersal of gametes or from the migration of individuals.
37.2K
01:21Frequency-dependent Selection
22.9K
When the fitness of a trait is influenced by how common it is (i.e., its frequency) relative to different traits within a population, this is referred to as frequency-dependent selection. Frequency-dependent selection may occur between species or within a single species. This type of selection can either be positive—with more common phenotypes having higher fitness—or negative, with rarer phenotypes conferring increased fitness.
22.9K
03:24Seedless Vascular Plants
66.3K
Seedless Vascular Plants Were the First Tall Plants on Earth
66.3K
02:16Genetics of Speciation
20.7K
Speciation is the evolutionary process resulting in the formation of new, distinct species—groups of reproductively isolated populations.
20.7K
02:26Non-vascular Seedless Plants
70.6K
The diverse plant life on Earth—consisting of nearly 400,000 species—can be divided into three broad categories based on biological characteristics: nonvascular, seedless vascular, and seed plants.
70.6K
02:29Hybrid Zones
21.6K
Hybrid zones are narrow regions where two closely related species interact, mate, and produce hybrids. Relative to either parent species, hybrids may possess distinct phenotypic or genetic differences that impact their survival and reproductive success. The genetic variances introduced by hybridization influence species diversity and speciation processes within the hybrid zone.
21.6K