Phenotypic plasticity and population differentiation in an ongoing species invasion.

The ability to succeed in diverse conditions is a key factor allowing introduced species to successfully invade and spread across new areas. Two non-exclusive factors have been suggested to promote this ability: adaptive phenotypic plasticity of individuals, and the evolution of locally adapted popu...

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Main Authors: Silvia Matesanz, Tim Horgan-Kobelski, Sonia E Sultan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2012-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3446995?pdf=render
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author Silvia Matesanz
Tim Horgan-Kobelski
Sonia E Sultan
author_facet Silvia Matesanz
Tim Horgan-Kobelski
Sonia E Sultan
author_sort Silvia Matesanz
collection DOAJ
description The ability to succeed in diverse conditions is a key factor allowing introduced species to successfully invade and spread across new areas. Two non-exclusive factors have been suggested to promote this ability: adaptive phenotypic plasticity of individuals, and the evolution of locally adapted populations in the new range. We investigated these individual and population-level factors in Polygonum cespitosum, an Asian annual that has recently become invasive in northeastern North America. We characterized individual fitness, life-history, and functional plasticity in response to two contrasting glasshouse habitat treatments (full sun/dry soil and understory shade/moist soil) in 165 genotypes sampled from nine geographically separate populations representing the range of light and soil moisture conditions the species inhabits in this region. Polygonum cespitosum genotypes from these introduced-range populations expressed broadly similar plasticity patterns. In response to full sun, dry conditions, genotypes from all populations increased photosynthetic rate, water use efficiency, and allocation to root tissues, dramatically increasing reproductive fitness compared to phenotypes expressed in simulated understory shade. Although there were subtle among-population differences in mean trait values as well as in the slope of plastic responses, these population differences did not reflect local adaptation to environmental conditions measured at the population sites of origin. Instead, certain populations expressed higher fitness in both glasshouse habitat treatments. We also compared the introduced-range populations to a single population from the native Asian range, and found that the native population had delayed phenology, limited functional plasticity, and lower fitness in both experimental environments compared with the introduced-range populations. Our results indicate that the future spread of P. cespitosum in its introduced range will likely be fueled by populations consisting of individuals able to express high fitness across diverse light and moisture conditions, rather than by the evolution of locally specialized populations.
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spelling doaj.art-0c31a35eb3f947228acd944d2a699f702022-12-21T18:29:58ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032012-01-0179e4495510.1371/journal.pone.0044955Phenotypic plasticity and population differentiation in an ongoing species invasion.Silvia MatesanzTim Horgan-KobelskiSonia E SultanThe ability to succeed in diverse conditions is a key factor allowing introduced species to successfully invade and spread across new areas. Two non-exclusive factors have been suggested to promote this ability: adaptive phenotypic plasticity of individuals, and the evolution of locally adapted populations in the new range. We investigated these individual and population-level factors in Polygonum cespitosum, an Asian annual that has recently become invasive in northeastern North America. We characterized individual fitness, life-history, and functional plasticity in response to two contrasting glasshouse habitat treatments (full sun/dry soil and understory shade/moist soil) in 165 genotypes sampled from nine geographically separate populations representing the range of light and soil moisture conditions the species inhabits in this region. Polygonum cespitosum genotypes from these introduced-range populations expressed broadly similar plasticity patterns. In response to full sun, dry conditions, genotypes from all populations increased photosynthetic rate, water use efficiency, and allocation to root tissues, dramatically increasing reproductive fitness compared to phenotypes expressed in simulated understory shade. Although there were subtle among-population differences in mean trait values as well as in the slope of plastic responses, these population differences did not reflect local adaptation to environmental conditions measured at the population sites of origin. Instead, certain populations expressed higher fitness in both glasshouse habitat treatments. We also compared the introduced-range populations to a single population from the native Asian range, and found that the native population had delayed phenology, limited functional plasticity, and lower fitness in both experimental environments compared with the introduced-range populations. Our results indicate that the future spread of P. cespitosum in its introduced range will likely be fueled by populations consisting of individuals able to express high fitness across diverse light and moisture conditions, rather than by the evolution of locally specialized populations.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3446995?pdf=render
spellingShingle Silvia Matesanz
Tim Horgan-Kobelski
Sonia E Sultan
Phenotypic plasticity and population differentiation in an ongoing species invasion.
PLoS ONE
title Phenotypic plasticity and population differentiation in an ongoing species invasion.
title_full Phenotypic plasticity and population differentiation in an ongoing species invasion.
title_fullStr Phenotypic plasticity and population differentiation in an ongoing species invasion.
title_full_unstemmed Phenotypic plasticity and population differentiation in an ongoing species invasion.
title_short Phenotypic plasticity and population differentiation in an ongoing species invasion.
title_sort phenotypic plasticity and population differentiation in an ongoing species invasion
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3446995?pdf=render
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