Rapid plant evolution in response to climate, but not herbivory
Castells, Eva (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Farmacologia, de Terapèutica i de Toxicologia)
Colomer Ventura, Ferran

Date:	2014
Abstract:	Divergence in plant traits and trait plasticity after invasion has been proposed as an important mechanism favouring invasion success. Current hypotheses predict a rapid evolution in response to changes in the herbivore consumption pressure caused by a decrease in the enemies associated at the area of origin (e. g. evolution of increased competitive ability -EICA- hypothesis), or in the abiotic conditions after invasion. Senecio pterophorus (Asteraceae) is a perennial shrub native from Eastern South Africa and a recent invader in Western South Africa (~100 years ago), Australia (>70-100 years ago) and Europe (>30 years ago). A biogeographic survey covering the entire distributional area of S. pterophorus confirmed that plants from the introduced areas were subject to a lower herbivore consumption compared with plants from the native area1, as expected by the enemy release hypothesis. The four distributional regions also differed in their summer drought stress. Here we have evaluated, simultaneously, the role of herbivore consumption and climate on the rapid geographical divergence in plant traits and trait plasticity of the exotic plant S. pterophorus. We performed a common garden experiment with plants sampled throughout the entire known distributional area of S. pterophorus in the native and non-native ranges to test geographical differences in individual-level traits, leaf-level traits and reproductive-level traits, and their plastic response to water availability. Native and non-native populations of S. pterophorus differed in plant traits, but not in trait plasticity, in response to their local climatic conditions. Our results are contrary to the role of herbivory as a selective factor after invasion and highlight the importance of climate driving rapid evolution of exotic plants.
Grants:	Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación CGL2008-02421/BOS Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación CGL2011-29205
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial i la comunicació pública de l'obra, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original. No es permet la creació d'obres derivades.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Pòster de congrés
Subject:	Chemical ecology
Published in:	International Symposium on Insect-Plant Relationships. Neuchâtel (Suïssa), 15è : 2014

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Abstract 1 p, 115.4 KB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Health sciences and biosciences > Chemical Ecology and Toxicology Lab
Contributions to meetings and congresses > Posters