Non-native populations of an invasive tree outperform their native conspecifics

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Heidi Hirsch - , University of Stellenbosch, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (Author)
  • Isabell Hensen - , Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle—Jena—Leipzig (Author)
  • Karsten Wesche - , Chair of Biodiversity of Higher Plants, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle—Jena—Leipzig, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung (Author)
  • Daniel Renison - , National Scientific and Technical Research Council Argentina (CONICET) (Author)
  • Catherina Wypior - , Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (Author)
  • Matthias Hartmann - , Charles University Prague (Author)
  • Henrik von Wehrden - , Leuphana University of Lüneburg, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna (Author)

Abstract

Introduced plants often face new environmental conditions in their non-native ranges. To become invasive, they need to overcome several biotic and abiotic filters that may trigger adaptive changes in life-history traits, like postgermination processes. Such early life cycle traits may play a crucial role in the colonization and establishment success of invasive plants. As a previous study revealed that seeds of non-native populations of the woody Siberian elm, Ulmus pumila, germinated faster than those of native populations, we expected growth performance of seedlings to mirror this finding. Here, we conducted a common garden greenhouse experiment using different temperature and watering treatments to compare the biomass production of U. pumila seedlings derived from 7 native and 13 populations from two non-native ranges. Our results showed that under all treatments, non-native populations were characterized by higher biomass production and enhanced resource allocation to aboveground biomass compared to the native populations. The observed enhanced growth performance of non-native populations might be one of the contributing factors for the invasion success of U. pumila due to competitive advantages during the colonization of new sites.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article numberplw071
JournalAoB PLANTS
Volume8
Publication statusPublished - 2016
Peer-reviewedYes

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Keywords

  • Biomass, Genetic shift, Greenhouse, Post-germination traits, Shoot-root ratio, Ulmus pumila