Increased phenotypic plasticity to climate may have boosted the invasion success of polyploid Centaurea stoebe.

ABSTRACT: Phenotypic plasticity may allow organisms to cope with altered environmental conditions as e.g. after the introduction into a new range. In particular polyploid organisms, containing more than two sets of chromosomes, may show high levels of plasticity, which could in turn increase their environmental tolerance and invasiveness. Here, we studied the role of phenotypic plasticity in the invasion of Centaurea stoebe (Asteraceae), which in the native range in Europe occurs as diploids and tetraploids, whereas in the introduced range in North America so far only tetraploids have been found. In a common garden experiment at two sites in the native range, we grew half-sibs of the three geo-cytotypes (native European diploids, European tetraploids and invasive North American tetraploids) from a r

SUBMITTER: Hahn MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3502303 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature