Alien plant fitness is limited by functional trade‐offs rather than a long‐term increase in competitive effects of native communities
Abstract Alien plants experience novel abiotic conditions and interactions with native communities in the introduced area. Intra‐ and interspecific selection on functional traits in the new environment may lead to increased population growth with time since introduction (residence time). However, se...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10468 |
| _version_ | 1797542891105550336 |
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| author | Marco R. Brendel Frank M. Schurr Christine S. Sheppard |
| author_facet | Marco R. Brendel Frank M. Schurr Christine S. Sheppard |
| author_sort | Marco R. Brendel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Alien plants experience novel abiotic conditions and interactions with native communities in the introduced area. Intra‐ and interspecific selection on functional traits in the new environment may lead to increased population growth with time since introduction (residence time). However, selection regimes might differ depending on the invaded habitat. Additionally, in high‐competition habitats, a build‐up of biotic resistance of native species due to accumulation of eco‐evolutionary experience to aliens over time may limit invasion success. We tested if the effect of functional traits and the population dynamics of aliens depends on interspecific competition with native plant communities. We conducted a multi‐species experiment with 40 annual Asteraceae that differ in residence time in Germany. We followed their population growth in monocultures and in interspecific competition with an experienced native community (varying co‐existence times between focals and community). To more robustly test our findings, we used a naïve community that never co‐existed with the focals. We found that high seed mass decreased population growth in monocultures but tended to increase population growth under high interspecific competition. We found no evidence for a build‐up of competition‐mediated biotic resistance by the experienced community over time. Instead, population growth of the focal species was similarly inhibited by the experienced and naïve community. By comparing the effect of experienced and naïve communities on population dynamics over 2 years across a large set of species with a high variation in functional traits and residence time, this study advances the understanding of the long‐term dynamics of plant invasions. In our study system, population growth of alien species was not limited by an increase of competitive effects by native communities (one aspect of biotic resistance) over time. Instead, invasion success of alien plants may be limited because initial spread in low‐competition habitats requires different traits than establishment in high‐competition habitats. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T13:36:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-98aa64ad10c94229a23d51a70d9e52e1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T13:36:57Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-98aa64ad10c94229a23d51a70d9e52e12023-11-21T07:26:25ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582023-09-01139n/an/a10.1002/ece3.10468Alien plant fitness is limited by functional trade‐offs rather than a long‐term increase in competitive effects of native communitiesMarco R. Brendel0Frank M. Schurr1Christine S. Sheppard2Institute of Landscape and Plant Ecology University of Hohenheim Stuttgart GermanyInstitute of Landscape and Plant Ecology University of Hohenheim Stuttgart GermanyInstitute of Landscape and Plant Ecology University of Hohenheim Stuttgart GermanyAbstract Alien plants experience novel abiotic conditions and interactions with native communities in the introduced area. Intra‐ and interspecific selection on functional traits in the new environment may lead to increased population growth with time since introduction (residence time). However, selection regimes might differ depending on the invaded habitat. Additionally, in high‐competition habitats, a build‐up of biotic resistance of native species due to accumulation of eco‐evolutionary experience to aliens over time may limit invasion success. We tested if the effect of functional traits and the population dynamics of aliens depends on interspecific competition with native plant communities. We conducted a multi‐species experiment with 40 annual Asteraceae that differ in residence time in Germany. We followed their population growth in monocultures and in interspecific competition with an experienced native community (varying co‐existence times between focals and community). To more robustly test our findings, we used a naïve community that never co‐existed with the focals. We found that high seed mass decreased population growth in monocultures but tended to increase population growth under high interspecific competition. We found no evidence for a build‐up of competition‐mediated biotic resistance by the experienced community over time. Instead, population growth of the focal species was similarly inhibited by the experienced and naïve community. By comparing the effect of experienced and naïve communities on population dynamics over 2 years across a large set of species with a high variation in functional traits and residence time, this study advances the understanding of the long‐term dynamics of plant invasions. In our study system, population growth of alien species was not limited by an increase of competitive effects by native communities (one aspect of biotic resistance) over time. Instead, invasion success of alien plants may be limited because initial spread in low‐competition habitats requires different traits than establishment in high‐competition habitats.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10468biological invasionsbiotic resistanceevolution of biotic interactionsinterspecific competition with native communitiesresidence timetrait‐demography relationships |
| spellingShingle | Marco R. Brendel Frank M. Schurr Christine S. Sheppard Alien plant fitness is limited by functional trade‐offs rather than a long‐term increase in competitive effects of native communities Ecology and Evolution biological invasions biotic resistance evolution of biotic interactions interspecific competition with native communities residence time trait‐demography relationships |
| title | Alien plant fitness is limited by functional trade‐offs rather than a long‐term increase in competitive effects of native communities |
| title_full | Alien plant fitness is limited by functional trade‐offs rather than a long‐term increase in competitive effects of native communities |
| title_fullStr | Alien plant fitness is limited by functional trade‐offs rather than a long‐term increase in competitive effects of native communities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Alien plant fitness is limited by functional trade‐offs rather than a long‐term increase in competitive effects of native communities |
| title_short | Alien plant fitness is limited by functional trade‐offs rather than a long‐term increase in competitive effects of native communities |
| title_sort | alien plant fitness is limited by functional trade offs rather than a long term increase in competitive effects of native communities |
| topic | biological invasions biotic resistance evolution of biotic interactions interspecific competition with native communities residence time trait‐demography relationships |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10468 |
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