Discovery of a dune‐building hybrid beachgrass (<i>Ammophila arenaria</i> × <i>A. breviligulata</i>) in the U.S. Pacific Northwest

Mostow, Rebecca S.; Barreto, Felipe S.; Biel, Reuben G.; Meyer, Eli; Hacker, Sally D.

doi:10.1002/ecs2.3501

Cited by 11 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…Most hybrid individuals occurred at sites within southern Washington and northern Oregon, especially in the sites North Beach, Grayland Plains, Long Beach, and Clatsop Plains (Figures 2 and 3A). The hybrid was scarcer along the southern extent of its range, including Pacific City, the southernmost site where we found just two patches, one of which is a backcross between the hybrid and A. arenaria (Mostow, 2022). There was a negative F I G U R E 6 Mean (±SE) of (A) beachgrass shoot density and (B) beachgrass shoot height across profile locations and dune sites in Washington (North Beach, Grayland Plains, and Long Beach) and Oregon (Clatsop Plains, Pacific City) (Figure 2).…”

Section: Distribution and Abundance Of The Hybrid Beachgrass And Its ...mentioning

confidence: 71%

“…This dune‐building ecosystem engineer is the hybrid offspring of two invasive congeners, Ammophila arenaria (European beachgrass, native to Europe) and A. breviligulata (American beachgrass, native to the U.S. East Coast and Great Lakes), which were intentionally planted in the early 1900s for sand stabilization. The hybrid was first detected in 2012 and verified as a hybrid in 2021 (Mostow et al, 2021). As of 2019, 21 hybrid individuals had been detected from southern Washington to northern Oregon (Figure 1).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

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A novel hybrid beachgrass is invading U.S. Pacific Northwest dunes with potential ecosystem consequences

Askerooth,

Mostow,

Ruggiero

et al. 2024

Ecosphere

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Invasive plants formed via hybridization, especially those that modify the structure and function of their ecosystems, are of particular concern given the potential for hybrid vigor. In the U.S. Pacific Northwest, two invasive, dune‐building beachgrasses, Ammophila arenaria (European beachgrass) and A. breviligulata (American beachgrass), have hybridized and formed a new beachgrass taxa (Ammophila arenaria × A. breviligulata), but little is known about its distribution, spread, and ecological consequences. Here, we report on surveys of the hybrid beachgrass conducted across a 250‐km range from Moclips, Washington to Pacific City, Oregon, in 2021 and 2022. We detected nearly 300 hybrid individuals, or an average of 8–14 hybrid individuals per km of surveyed foredune. The hybrid was more common at sites within southern Washington and northern Oregon where A. breviligulata is abundant (75%–90% cover) and A. arenaria is sparse and patchy. The hybrid displayed morphological traits such as shoot density and height that typically exceeded its parent species suggesting hybrid vigor. We measured an average growth rate of 30% over one year, with individuals growing faster at the leading edge of the foredune, nearest to the beach. We also found a positive relationship between hybrid abundance and A. arenaria abundance, suggesting that A. arenaria density may be a controlling factor for hybridization rate. The hybrid showed similar sand deposition and associated plant species richness patterns compared with its parent species, although longer term studies are needed. Finally, we found hybrid individuals within and near conservation habitat of two Endangered Species Act‐listed, threatened bird species, the western snowy plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus) and the streaked horned lark (Eremophila alpestris strigata), a concern for conservation management. Documenting this emerging hybrid beachgrass provides insights into how hybridization affects the spread of novel species and the consequences for communities in which they invade.

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Section: Distribution and Abundance Of The Hybrid Beachgrass And Its ...mentioning

confidence: 71%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

A novel hybrid beachgrass is invading U.S. Pacific Northwest dunes with potential ecosystem consequences

Askerooth,

Mostow,

Ruggiero

et al. 2024

Ecosphere

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“…Saarela). F1 hybrids between C. arenaria and C. breviligulata , the species native to cool temperate European and northeastern North American coasts and interior sand dunes, respectively, have recently been recorded along the coast of the Pacific Northwest in the USA, where both species are introduced and their ranges overlap (Mostow et al, 2021), despite being distantly related to one another.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phylogeny and biogeography of Calamagrostis (Poaceae: Pooideae: Poeae: Agrostidinae), description of a new genus, Condilorachia (Calothecinae), and expansion of Greeneochloa and Pentapogon (Echinopogoninae)

Peterson

Soreng

Romaschenko

et al. 2022

J of Sytematics Evolution

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To investigate the evolutionary relationships and biogeographical history among the species of Calamagrostis and other members of subtribes Agrostidinae, Calothecinae, Echinopogoninae, and Paramochloinae, we generated a phylogeny based on DNA sequences from one nuclear ribosomal (ITS) and three plastid regions (rpl32-trnL spacer, rps16-trnK spacer, and rps16 intron). Based on our phylogeny, we identified seven species groups (clades) within Calamagrostis: the Meridionalis group comprises two species from Central and South America, the Americana group comprises species from North America, the Deyeuxia and Epigeios groups comprise species from Eurasia, the Orientalis group comprises species from East Asia, the Purpurea group comprises species from Eurasia and North America, and the Calamagrostis group comprises species from Eurasia and North America. We hypothesize that Calamagrostis originated in North America with the primary split of the Meridionalis group, followed by split between the autochthonous Americana group and two future Eurasian branches encompassing all the remaining groups, which possibly dispersed into Eurasia independently. The molecular data suggest that hybridization and genomic introgression played a prominent role in the evolutionary history of Calamagrostis. We propose a new genus, Condilorachia, segregated from Trisetum s.l., with three species from South America for which we propose new combinations: Condilorachia bulbosa, Condilorachia brasiliensis, and Condilorachia juergensii; a new combination in Greeneochloa, Greeneochloa expansa; and the subsumption of Dichelachne into Pentapogon with 20 new combinations: Pentapogon avenoides, Pentapogon brassii, Pentapogon chaseianus, Pentapogon crinita, Pentapogon densus, Pentapogon frigidus, Pentapogon gunnianus, Pentapogon hirtella, Pentapogon inaequiglumis, Pentapogon lautumia, Pentapogon micrantha, Pentapogon parva, Pentapogon quadrisetus, Pentapogon rara, Pentapogon robusta, Pentapogon scaberulus, Pentapogon sclerophyllus, Pentapogon suizanensis, Pentapogon sieberiana, and Pentapogon validus. We provide a diagnosis, description, and a key to the species of Condilorachia.

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“…Ammophila breviligulata hybridizes with A. arenaria in Oregon and Washington. The hybrid exceeds both parents in terms of shoot height, which generally correlates with sand deposition [69].…”

Section: Ammophila Breviligulatamentioning

confidence: 97%

Ammophila Invasion Ecology and Dune Restoration on the West Coast of North America

Pickart

2021

Diversity

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The invasive ecosystem engineer Ammophila arenaria, native to Europe, was first introduced to California (USA) in 1896. More than a century later, it has come to dominate coastal foredune vegetation on the west coast of North America to the near exclusion of native species. A. arenaria builds a narrow, steep, peaked, and densely vegetated foredune, in contrast to the broad, more sparsely vegetated foredunes built by the native Elymus mollis. As such, it has modified dune processes by fixing the foredune and disrupting exchange of sediment between the beach, foredune, and dunefield. In the 1930s the congener A. breviligulata, native to the east coast and Great Lakes USA, was first introduced to Oregon, and has been displacing A. arenaria in southern Washington. Ammophila spp. have drastically reduced biodiversity, outcompeting native plant species, and displacing both invertebrate and vertebrate species. Restoration of west coast dunes through the removal of Ammophila began in the 1990s. Methods usually consist of one or a combination of manual digging, burning/herbicides, or excavation with heavy equipment. There are benefits and disadvantages to each method. Manual removal has proven most effective at restoring foredune form and process but is expensive. Excavation and herbicides may result in the loss of foredune morphology. Managers must articulate goals carefully before selecting restoration methods.

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Discovery of a dune‐building hybrid beachgrass (Ammophila arenaria × A. breviligulata) in the U.S. Pacific Northwest

Cited by 11 publications

References 63 publications

A novel hybrid beachgrass is invading U.S. Pacific Northwest dunes with potential ecosystem consequences

A novel hybrid beachgrass is invading U.S. Pacific Northwest dunes with potential ecosystem consequences

Phylogeny and biogeography of Calamagrostis (Poaceae: Pooideae: Poeae: Agrostidinae), description of a new genus, Condilorachia (Calothecinae), and expansion of Greeneochloa and Pentapogon (Echinopogoninae)

Ammophila Invasion Ecology and Dune Restoration on the West Coast of North America

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