What happens in Europe stays in Europe: apparent evolution by an invader does not help at home

Robert W. Pal; John L. Maron; David U. Nagy; Lauren P. Waller; Ambra Tosto; Huixuan Liao; Ragan M. Callaway

doi:10.1002/ecy.3072

What happens in Europe stays in Europe: apparent evolution by an invader does not help at home

Robert W. Pal, John L. Maron, David U. Nagy, Lauren P. Waller, Ambra Tosto, Huixuan Liao, Ragan M. Callaway

Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

19 Scopus citations

Abstract

Some invasive plant species rapidly evolve greater size and/or competitive ability in their nonnative ranges. However, it is not well known whether these traits transfer back to the native range, or instead represent genotype-by-environment interactions where traits are context specific to communities in the new range where the evolution occurred. Insight into transferability vs. context specificity can be tested using experiments performed with individuals from populations from the native and nonnative ranges of exotic invasive species. Using a widespread invasive plant species in Europe, Solidago gigantea, we established reciprocal common garden experiments in the native range (Montana, North America; n = 4) and the nonnative range (Hungary, Europe; n = 4) to assess differences in size, vegetative shoot number, and herbivory between populations from the native and nonnative ranges. In a greenhouse experiment, we also tested whether the inherent competitive ability of genotypes from 15 native and 15 invasive populations differed when pitted against 11 common native North American competitors. In common gardens, plants from both ranges considered together produced five times more biomass, grew four times taller, and developed five times more rhizomes in the nonnative range garden compared to the native range garden. The interaction between plant origin and the common garden location was highly significant, with plants from Hungary performing better than plants from Montana when grown in Hungary, and plants from Montana performing better than plants from Hungary when grown in Montana. In the greenhouse, there were no differences in the competitive effects and responses of S. gigantea plants from the two ranges when grown with North American natives. Our results suggest that S. gigantea might have undergone rapid evolution for greater performance abroad, but if so, this response does not translate to greater performance at home.

Original language	English
Article number	e03072
Journal	Ecology
Volume	101
Issue number	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.3072
State	Published - Aug 1 2020

Funding

This research was funded by the People Programme (Marie Curie Actions) of the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007‐2013) under REA grant number 300639 (RWP), the Fulbright Commission (RWP), NSF EPSCoR Track‐1 EPS‐1101342 (INSTEP 3) (RMC), the Provost’s Office of the University of Montana (RMC; RWP), and the U.S. National Science Foundation DEB 0614406 (RMC). This material is based upon work supported in part by the National Science Foundation EPSCoR Cooperative Agreement OIA‐1757351 and OIA‐1757351. The authors thank the National Bison Range, Flathead Lake Biological Station (Dr. Jack Stanford), Directorate of Plant Protection and Soil Conservation in Baranya County, Hungary, Mecsek‐Öko Zrt. (Pécs, Hungary), János Lindheimer (Hungary) for providing our research sites and to Judit Nyulasi, Pál Lőrinc, Pál Lőrincné, Renáta Rab, Ivett Maróti, and János Kiss for their help. This research was funded by the People Programme (Marie Curie Actions) of the European Union?s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under REA grant number 300639 (RWP), the Fulbright Commission (RWP), NSF EPSCoR Track-1 EPS-1101342 (INSTEP 3) (RMC), the Provost?s Office of the University of Montana (RMC; RWP), and the U.S. National Science Foundation DEB 0614406 (RMC). This material is based upon work supported in part by the National Science Foundation EPSCoR Cooperative Agreement OIA-1757351 and OIA-1757351. The authors thank the National Bison Range, Flathead Lake Biological Station?(Dr. Jack Stanford), Directorate of Plant Protection and Soil Conservation in Baranya County, Hungary, Mecsek-?ko Zrt. (P?cs, Hungary), J?nos Lindheimer (Hungary) for providing our research sites and to Judit Nyulasi, P?l L?rinc, P?l L?rincn?, Ren?ta Rab, Ivett Mar?ti, and J?nos Kiss for their help.

Funders	Funder number
OIA‐1757351
RMC Research Corporation
DEB 0614406, 1757351, Track‐1 EPS‐1101342
300639

Keywords

EICA hypothesis
Solidago gigantea
biogeography
common garden experiment
competition
invasion
reintroduction
transcontinental research

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10.1002/ecy.3072

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title = "What happens in Europe stays in Europe: apparent evolution by an invader does not help at home",

abstract = "Some invasive plant species rapidly evolve greater size and/or competitive ability in their nonnative ranges. However, it is not well known whether these traits transfer back to the native range, or instead represent genotype-by-environment interactions where traits are context specific to communities in the new range where the evolution occurred. Insight into transferability vs. context specificity can be tested using experiments performed with individuals from populations from the native and nonnative ranges of exotic invasive species. Using a widespread invasive plant species in Europe, Solidago gigantea, we established reciprocal common garden experiments in the native range (Montana, North America; n = 4) and the nonnative range (Hungary, Europe; n = 4) to assess differences in size, vegetative shoot number, and herbivory between populations from the native and nonnative ranges. In a greenhouse experiment, we also tested whether the inherent competitive ability of genotypes from 15 native and 15 invasive populations differed when pitted against 11 common native North American competitors. In common gardens, plants from both ranges considered together produced five times more biomass, grew four times taller, and developed five times more rhizomes in the nonnative range garden compared to the native range garden. The interaction between plant origin and the common garden location was highly significant, with plants from Hungary performing better than plants from Montana when grown in Hungary, and plants from Montana performing better than plants from Hungary when grown in Montana. In the greenhouse, there were no differences in the competitive effects and responses of S. gigantea plants from the two ranges when grown with North American natives. Our results suggest that S. gigantea might have undergone rapid evolution for greater performance abroad, but if so, this response does not translate to greater performance at home.",

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author = "Pal, \{Robert W.\} and Maron, \{John L.\} and Nagy, \{David U.\} and Waller, \{Lauren P.\} and Ambra Tosto and Huixuan Liao and Callaway, \{Ragan M.\}",

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AU - Liao, Huixuan

AU - Callaway, Ragan M.

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What happens in Europe stays in Europe: apparent evolution by an invader does not help at home

Abstract

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Keywords

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