Rapid evolution in introduced species, ‘invasive traits’ and recipient communities: challenges for predicting invasive potential

Whitney, Kenneth D.; Gabler, Christopher A.

doi:10.1111/j.1472-4642.2008.00473.x

Cited by 418 publications

(377 citation statements)

References 106 publications

(122 reference statements)

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“…Whether this variability results from phenotypic plasticity as a response to environmental conditions at the respective site of origin or from genetic adaptation has not yet been evaluated. Both, high phenotypic plasticity (Parker et al 2003;Richards et al 2006) and local adaptation (Dlugosch and Parker 2008;Lee 2002;Whitney and Gabler 2008), are seen as key characteristics for the successful coping of invasive species in new environments.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Such genetic variation may arise after introduction as an evolutionary response to altered environmental conditions, or due to a survival of best adapted genotypes at each provenance. Evolutionary responses may occur within less than 20 generations (Prentis et al 2008;Whitney and Gabler 2008). Especially in plants with a short generation time (Jump and Penuelas 2005) this can happen within a short time-span.…”

Section: Phenotypic Variation Of Early and Late Growthmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Phenotypic variation of 38 European Ambrosia artemisiifolia populations measured in a common garden experiment

Leiblein-Wild

Tackenberg

2014

Biol Invasions

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The knowledge of phenotypic variation in the European range of the highly allergenic Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. (common ragweed) is not entirely complete, even though it is an invasive species of utmost concern. We hypothesized the prevalence of phenotypic differentiations between common ragweed populations in the introduced range, and we assumed that those differentiations were related to environmental conditions at the points of origin. Using a common garden experiment, we investigated biomass allocation, growth rates, and flowering phenology of 38 European common ragweed populations originating from a major geographical gradient. We observed considerable phenotypic variation in growth parameters and flowering phenology, e.g. mean aboveground biomass varied from 23.3 to 47.3 g between the populations. We were able to relate most measured traits with environmental parameters prevailing at the points of origin. For example, early growth of ruderal populations was highly correlated with temperature and precipitation at the point of origin. Late growth and flowering phenology were highly correlated with latitude, i.e. individuals from northern populations grew smaller and flowered and dispersed their pollen and seeds up to 5 weeks earlier than individuals from southern populations. We also found a longitudinal gradient in flowering phenology which has not yet been described. The existence of such a high variability in the introduced range may facilitate further range expansion. We suggest that the correlation with environmental variables rests upon genetic variation possibly due to adaptations to the respective environment. To clarify if such adaptation results from multiple events of introduction or as evolutionary response after introduction, genetic investigations are needed.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Phenotypic Variation Of Early and Late Growthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phenotypic variation of 38 European Ambrosia artemisiifolia populations measured in a common garden experiment

Leiblein-Wild

Tackenberg

2014

Biol Invasions

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“…A comprehensive knowledge of sources and invasion routes is needed in this case to successfully disentangle the effects of demographic and stochastic events from selection. So far, although many examples of evolution during biological invasions have been described (see Whitney and Gabler 2008 for a review), it is not always clear whether changes in phenotypic and lifehistory traits during establishment and range expansion reflect adaptive evolution during the invasion process, or neutral changes linked to genetic drift (Keller and Taylor 2008). However, even in cases of clear adaptation, it is not always clear whether adaptation allowed the invasion, coincided with the invasion, or was a consequence of the invasion (Estoup and Guillemaud 2010).…”

Section: Main Insights From Molecular Genetic Studies Of Invasion Routesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological genetics of invasive alien species

et al. 2011

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There is growing realisation that integrating genetics and ecology is critical in the context of biological invasions, since the two are explicitly linked. So far, the focus of ecological genetics of invasive alien species (IAS) has been on determining the sources and routes of invasions, and the genetic make-up of founding populations, which is critical for defining and testing ecological and evolutionary hypotheses. However an ecological genetics approach can be extended to investigate questions about invasion success and impacts on native, recipient species. Here, we discuss recent progress in the field, provide overviews of recent methodological advances, and highlight areas that we believe are of particular interest for future research. First, we discuss the main insights from studies that have inferred source populations and invasion routes using molecular genetic data, with particular focus on the role of genetic diversity, adaptation and admixture in invasion success. Second, we consider how genetic tools can lead to a better understanding of patterns of dispersal, which is critical to predicting the spread of invasive species, and how studying invasions can shed light on the evolution of dispersal. Finally, we explore the potential for combining molecular genetic data and ecological network modelling to investigate community interactions such as those between predator and prey, and host and parasite. We conclude that invasions are excellent model systems for understanding the role of natural selection in shaping phenotypes and that an ecological genetics approach offers great potential for addressing fundamental questions in invasion biology.

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“…invasibility (Chytrý et al 2008b;Davis et al 2000;Rejmánek et al 2005). Both approaches basically treat species and ''recipient communities'' as static entities with fixed sets of traits (Whitney and Gabler 2008). However, increasing evidence shows that evolutionary or ecological processes can change the behaviour of invader species or modulate their effects (Strayer et al 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The response of plant community diversity to alien invasion: evidence from a sand dune time series

2014

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This study examines the process of invasion of coastal dunes in north-eastern Italy along a 60-year time series considering alien attributes (origin, residence time, invasive status, and growth form strategy) and habitat properties (species richness, diversity and evenness, proportion of aliens, and proportion of focal species). Vegetation changes through time were investigated in four sandy coastal habitats, using a fine-scale diachronic approach that compared vegetation data collected by use of the same procedure, in four time periods, from the 1950s to 2011. Our analysis revealed an overall significant decline of species richness over the last six decades. Further, both the average number of species per plot and the mean focal species proportion were proved to be negatively affected by the increasing proportion of alien species at plot level. The severity of the impact, however, was found to be determined by a combination of species attributes, habitat properties, and human disturbance suggesting that alien species should be referred to as ''passengers'' and not as ''drivers'' of ecosystem change. Passenger alien species are those which take advantage of disturbances or other changes to which they are adapted but that lead to a decline in native biodiversity. Their spread is facilitated by widespread anthropogenic environmental alterations, which create new, suitable habitats, and ensure human-assisted dispersal, reducing the distinctiveness of plant communities and inducing a process of biotic homogenization.

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Rapid evolution in introduced species, ‘invasive traits’ and recipient communities: challenges for predicting invasive potential

Cited by 418 publications

References 106 publications

Phenotypic variation of 38 European Ambrosia artemisiifolia populations measured in a common garden experiment

Phenotypic variation of 38 European Ambrosia artemisiifolia populations measured in a common garden experiment

Ecological genetics of invasive alien species

The response of plant community diversity to alien invasion: evidence from a sand dune time series

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