TY - JOUR

T1 - No evidence for local adaptation in an invasive alien plant

T2 - Field and greenhouse experiments tracing a colonization sequence

AU - Pahl, Anna T.

AU - Kollmann, Johannes

AU - Mayer, Andreas

AU - Haider, Sylvia

N1 - Funding Information: We are grateful for valuable comments and suggestions by three anonymous referees on a previous version of the manuscript. We thank Ivonne Jüttner for technical advice in the greenhouse experiment, and Tabea Bartelt, Ingrid Kapps, Caroline von Lavergne-Peguilhen, Charlotte Mason, Juliane Meister, Thomas Wagner and staff at Dürnast Research Centre for practical assistance. Susanne Lachmuth gave useful advice for statistical analyses. This work was supported by a graduate scholarship from Universität Bayern to ATP, the Dr.-Ing. Leonhard-Lorenz-Foundation and the Faculty Graduate Center Weihenstephan of TUM Graduate School at Technische Universität München, Germany.

PY - 2013/12/1

Y1 - 2013/12/1

N2 - Background and Aims Local adaptation enables plant species to persist under different environmental conditions. Evolutionary change can occur rapidly in invasive annual species and has been shown to lead to local adaptation. However, the patterns and mechanisms of local adaptation in invasive species along colonization sequences are not yet understood. Thus, in this study the alien annual Impatiens glanduliferawas used to investigate local adaptation to distinct habitats that have been consecutively invaded in central Europe. Methods A reciprocal transplant experiment was performed using 15 populations from alluvial deciduous forests, fallow meadows and coniferous upland forests, and a greenhouse experiment was performed in which plants from these habitats were grown under treatments reflecting the main habitat differentiators (shade, soil acidity, competition). KeyResults Biomass production, specific leaf area, plant height and relative growth rate differed between habitats in the field experiment and between treatments in the greenhouse, but not between seed origins. Overall, there was no indication of local adaptation in either experiment. Conclusions Since I. glandulifera is a successful invader in many habitats without showing local adaptation, it is suggested that the species is coping with environmental variation by means of high phenotypic plasticity. The species seemsto followa 'jack-and-master' strategy, i.e. it is able to maintain high fitness underawide range of environmental conditions, but performs particularly well in favourable habitats. Therefore, the proposed colonization sequence is likely to be based primarily on changes in propagule pressure. It is concluded that invasive alien plants can become dominant in distinct habitats without local adaptation.

AB - Background and Aims Local adaptation enables plant species to persist under different environmental conditions. Evolutionary change can occur rapidly in invasive annual species and has been shown to lead to local adaptation. However, the patterns and mechanisms of local adaptation in invasive species along colonization sequences are not yet understood. Thus, in this study the alien annual Impatiens glanduliferawas used to investigate local adaptation to distinct habitats that have been consecutively invaded in central Europe. Methods A reciprocal transplant experiment was performed using 15 populations from alluvial deciduous forests, fallow meadows and coniferous upland forests, and a greenhouse experiment was performed in which plants from these habitats were grown under treatments reflecting the main habitat differentiators (shade, soil acidity, competition). KeyResults Biomass production, specific leaf area, plant height and relative growth rate differed between habitats in the field experiment and between treatments in the greenhouse, but not between seed origins. Overall, there was no indication of local adaptation in either experiment. Conclusions Since I. glandulifera is a successful invader in many habitats without showing local adaptation, it is suggested that the species is coping with environmental variation by means of high phenotypic plasticity. The species seemsto followa 'jack-and-master' strategy, i.e. it is able to maintain high fitness underawide range of environmental conditions, but performs particularly well in favourable habitats. Therefore, the proposed colonization sequence is likely to be based primarily on changes in propagule pressure. It is concluded that invasive alien plants can become dominant in distinct habitats without local adaptation.

KW - Biology

KW - Biological invasions

KW - colonization history

KW - general-purpose genotype

KW - greenhouse experiment

KW - home site advantage

KW - invasive alien plant

KW - Impatiens glandulifera

KW - jack-and-master strategy

KW - local adaptation

KW - phenotypic plasticity

KW - propagule pressure

KW - reciprocal transplant experiment

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84889835963&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/7ef71904-175f-3a73-a7de-8e4ace5d1b17/

U2 - 10.1093/aob/mct246

DO - 10.1093/aob/mct246

M3 - Journal articles

C2 - 24214934

AN - SCOPUS:84889835963

VL - 112

SP - 1921

EP - 1930

JO - Annals of Botany

JF - Annals of Botany

SN - 0305-7364

IS - 9

ER -