Evolutionary changes in growth, regrowth and carbohydrate storage in an invasive plant.

ABSTRACT: We hypothesized that due to the absence of specialist herbivores in introduced ranges, invasive plants have evolved decreased allocation to carbohydrate storage for regrowth ability and as a consequence allocate more to growth. In this study, we compared plant growth, carbohydrate storage and regrowth ability of invasive and native Jacobaea vulgaris in response to complete shoot defoliation. We used invasive J. vulgaris genotypes from three geographically and climactically distinct regions and compared these with native genotypes from Europe. We found that invasive genotypes initially grew larger while native genotypes regrew larger after defoliation. Before defoliation, the carbohydrate storage in roots of invasive genotypes was 38% lower than native genotypes. Biomass after regrowth incr

SUBMITTER: Lin T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6175876 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature