Evolution of defense and herbivory in introduced plants-Testing enemy release using a known source population, herbivore trials, and time since introduction.

ABSTRACT: The enemy release hypothesis is often cited as a potential explanation for the success of introduced plants; yet, empirical evidence for enemy release is mixed. We aimed to quantify changes in herbivory and defense in introduced plants while controlling for three factors that might have confounded past studies: using a wide native range for comparison with the introduced range, measuring defense traits without determining whether they affect herbivore preferences, and not considering the effect of time since introduction. The first hypothesis we tested was that introduced plants will have evolved lower levels of plant defense compared to their source population. We grew South African (source) and Australian (introduced) beach daisies (Arctotheca populifolia) in a common-environment

SUBMITTER: Brandenburger CR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7319247 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature