Elevational distribution limits of non-native species: Combining observational and experimental evidence

Publikation: Beiträge in ZeitschriftenZeitschriftenaufsätzeForschungbegutachtet

Authors

Background: In temperate mountains, most non-native plant species reach their distributional limit somewhere along the elevational gradient. However, it is unclear if growth limitations can explain upper range limits and whether phenotypic plasticity or genetic changes allow species to occupy a broad elevational gradient.

Aims: We investigated how non-native plant individuals from different elevations responded to growing season temperatures, which represented conditions at the core and margin of the elevational distributions of the species.

Methods: We recorded the occurrence of nine non-native species in the Swiss Alps and subsequently conducted a climate chamber experiment to assess growth rates of plants from different elevations under different temperature treatments.

Results: The elevational limit observed in the field was not related to the species' temperature response in the climate chamber experiment. Almost all species showed a similar level of reduction in growth rates under lower temperatures independent of the upper elevational limit of the species' distribution. For two species we found indications for genetic differentiation among plants from different elevations.

Conclusions: We conclude that factors other than growing season temperatures, such as extreme events or winter mortality, might shape the elevational limit of non-native species, and that ecological filtering might select for genotypes that are phenotypically plastic.
OriginalspracheEnglisch
ZeitschriftPlant Ecology and Diversity
Jahrgang4
Ausgabenummer4
Seiten (von - bis)363-371
Anzahl der Seiten9
ISSN1755-0874
DOIs
PublikationsstatusErschienen - 01.12.2011
Extern publiziertJa

    Fachgebiete

  • Biologie - alien species, biological invasions, climate chamber experiment, elevational gradient, European Alps, genetic differentiation, growth rates, phenotypic plasticity, plant invasions

DOI

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