Moussab/ORKG-training-evaluation-set huggingface dataset:
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Seasonal Photoperiods Alter Developmental Time and Mass of an Invasive Mosquito, Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae), Across Its North-South Range in the United States
Abstract: ABSTRACT The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus (Skuse), is perhaps the most successful invasive mosquito species in contemporary history. In the United States, Ae. albopictus has spread from its introduction point in southern Texas to as far north as New Jersey (i.e., a span of ≈14° latitude). This species experiences seasonal constraints in activity because of cold temperatures in winter in the northern United States, but is active year-round in the south. We performed a laboratory experiment to examine how life-history traits of Ae. albopictus from four populations (New Jersey [39.4° N], Virginia [38.6° N], North Carolina [35.8° N], Florida [27.6° N]) responded to photoperiod conditions that mimic approaching winter in the north (short static daylength, short diminishing daylength) or relatively benign summer conditions in the south (long daylength), at low and high larval densities. Individuals from northern locations were predicted to exhibit reduced development times and to emerge smaller as adults under short daylength, but be larger and take longer to develop under long daylength. Life-history traits of southern populations were predicted to show less plasticity in response to daylength because of low probability of seasonal mortality in those areas. Males and females responded strongly to photoperiod regardless of geographic location, being generally larger but taking longer to develop under the long daylength compared with short day lengths; adults of both sexes were smaller when reared at low larval densities. Adults also differed in mass and development time among locations, although this effect was independent of density and photoperiod in females but interacted with density in males. Differences between male and female mass and development times was greater in the long photoperiod suggesting differences between the sexes in their reaction to different photoperiods. This work suggests that Ae. albopictus exhibits sex-specific phenotypic plasticity in life-history traits matching variation in important environmental variables.
Extracted statement — hypothesis: Phenotypic plasticity
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Seedling defoliation, plant growth and flowering potential in native- and invasive-range Plantago lanceolata populations
Abstract: Hanley ME (2012). Seedling defoliation, plant growth and flowering potential in native- and invasive-range Plantago lanceolata populations. Weed Research52, 252–259. Summary The plastic response of weeds to new environmental conditions, in particular the likely relaxation of herbivore pressure, is considered vital for successful colonisation and spread. However, while variation in plant anti-herbivore resistance between native- and introduced-range populations is well studied, few authors have considered herbivore tolerance, especially at the seedling stage. This study examines variation in seedling tolerance in native (European) and introduced (North American) Plantago lanceolata populations following cotyledon removal at 14 days old. Subsequent effects on plant growth were quantified at 35 days, along with effects on flowering potential at maturity. Cotyledon removal reduced early growth for all populations, with no variation between introduced- or native-range plants. Although more variable, the effects of cotyledon loss on flowering potential were also unrelated to range. The likelihood that generalist seedling herbivores are common throughout North America may explain why no difference in seedling tolerance was apparent. However, increased flowering potential in plants from North American P. lanceolata populations was observed. As increased flowering potential was not lost, even after severe cotyledon damage, the manifestation of phenotypic plasticity in weeds at maturity may nonetheless still be shaped by plasticity in the ability to tolerate herbivory during seedling establishment.
Extracted statement — hypothesis: Phenotypic plasticity
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Shell morphology and relative growth variability of the invasive pearl oyster Pinctada radiata in coastal Tunisia
Abstract: <jats:p>The variability of shell morphology and relative growth of the invasive pearl oyster <jats:italic>Pinctada radiata</jats:italic> was studied within and among ten populations from coastal Tunisia using discriminant tests. Therefore, 12 morphological characters were examined and 34 metric and weight ratios were defined. In addition to the classic morphological characters, populations were compared by the thickness of the nacreous layer. Results of Duncan's multiple comparison test showed that the most discriminative ratios were the width of nacreous layer of right valve to the inflation of shell, the hinge line length to the maximum width of shell and the nacre thickness to the maximum width of shell. The analysis of variance revealed an important inter-population morphological variability. Both multidimensional scaling analysis and the squared Mahalanobis distances (<jats:italic>D</jats:italic><jats:sup><jats:italic>2</jats:italic></jats:sup>) of metric ratios divided Tunisian <jats:italic>P. radiata</jats:italic> populations into four biogeographical groupings: the north coast (La Marsa); harbours (Hammamet, Monastir and Zarzis); the Gulf of Gabès (Sfax, Kerkennah Island, Maharès, Skhira and Djerba) and the intertidal area (Ajim). However, the Kerkennah Island population was discriminated by the squared Mahalanobis distances (<jats:italic>D</jats:italic><jats:sup><jats:italic>2</jats:italic></jats:sup>) of weight ratios in an isolated group suggesting particular trophic conditions in this area. The allometric study revealed high linear correlation between shell morphological characters and differences in allometric growth among <jats:italic>P. radiata</jats:italic> populations. Unlike the morphological discrimination, allometric differentiation shows no clear geographical distinction. This study revealed that the pearl oyster <jats:italic>P. radiata</jats:italic> exhibited considerable phenotypic plasticity related to differences of environmental and/or ecological conditions along Tunisian coasts and highlighted the discriminative character of the nacreous layer thickness parameter.</jats:p>
Extracted statement — hypothesis: Phenotypic plasticity
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Plastic Traits of an Exotic Grass Contribute to Its Abundance but Are Not Always Favourable
Abstract: In herbaceous ecosystems worldwide, biodiversity has been negatively impacted by changed grazing regimes and nutrient enrichment. Altered disturbance regimes are thought to favour invasive species that have a high phenotypic plasticity, although most studies measure plasticity under controlled conditions in the greenhouse and then assume plasticity is an advantage in the field. Here, we compare trait plasticity between three co-occurring, C4 perennial grass species, an invader Eragrostis curvula, and natives Eragrostis sororia and Aristida personata to grazing and fertilizer in a three-year field trial. We measured abundances and several leaf traits known to correlate with strategies used by plants to fix carbon and acquire resources, i.e. specific leaf area (SLA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), leaf nutrient concentrations (N, C∶N, P), assimilation rates (Amax) and photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency (PNUE). In the control treatment (grazed only), trait values for SLA, leaf C∶N ratios, Amax and PNUE differed significantly between the three grass species. When trait values were compared across treatments, E. curvula showed higher trait plasticity than the native grasses, and this correlated with an increase in abundance across all but the grazed/fertilized treatment. The native grasses showed little trait plasticity in response to the treatments. Aristida personata decreased significantly in the treatments where E. curvula increased, and E. sororia abundance increased possibly due to increased rainfall and not in response to treatments or invader abundance. Overall, we found that plasticity did not favour an increase in abundance of E. curvula under the grazed/fertilized treatment likely because leaf nutrient contents increased and subsequently its' palatability to consumers. E. curvula also displayed a higher resource use efficiency than the native grasses. These findings suggest resource conditions and disturbance regimes can be manipulated to disadvantage the success of even plastic exotic species.
Extracted statement — hypothesis: Phenotypic plasticity
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Phenotypic variation of an alien species in a new environment: the body size and diet of American mink over time and at local and continental scales
Abstract: Introduced species must adapt their ecology, behaviour, and morphological traits to new conditions. The successful introduction and invasive potential of a species are related to its levels of phenotypic plasticity and genetic polymorphism. We analysed changes in the body mass and length of American mink (Neovison vison) since its introduction into the Warta Mouth National Park, western Poland, in relation to diet composition and colonization progress from 1996 to 2004. Mink body mass decreased significantly during the period of population establishment within the study area, with an average decrease of 13% from 1.36 to 1.18 kg in males and of 16% from 0.83 to 0.70 kg in females. Diet composition varied seasonally and between consecutive years. The main prey items were mammals and fish in the cold season and birds and fish in the warm season. During the study period the proportion of mammals preyed upon increased in the cold season and decreased in the warm season. The proportion of birds preyed upon decreased over the study period, whereas the proportion of fish increased. Following introduction, the strictly aquatic portion of mink diet (fish and frogs) increased over time, whereas the proportion of large prey (large birds, muskrats, and water voles) decreased. The average yearly proportion of large prey and average-sized prey in the mink diet was significantly correlated with the mean body masses of males and females. Biogeographical variation in the body mass and length of mink was best explained by the percentage of large prey in the mink diet in both sexes, and by latitude for females. Together these results demonstrate that American mink rapidly changed their body mass in relation to local conditions. This phenotypic variability may be underpinned by phenotypic plasticity and/or by adaptation of quantitative genetic variation. The potential to rapidly change phenotypic variation in this manner is an important factor determining the negative ecological impacts of invasive species. © 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 105, 681–693.
Extracted statement — hypothesis: Phenotypic plasticity
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Phenotypic Plasticity Influences the Size, Shape and Dynamics of the Geographic Distribution of an Invasive Plant
Abstract: Phenotypic plasticity has long been suspected to allow invasive species to expand their geographic range across large-scale environmental gradients. We tested this possibility in Australia using a continental scale survey of the invasive tree Parkinsonia aculeata (Fabaceae) in twenty-three sites distributed across four climate regions and three habitat types. Using tree-level responses, we detected a trade-off between seed mass and seed number across the moisture gradient. Individual trees plastically and reversibly produced many small seeds at dry sites or years, and few big seeds at wet sites and years. Bigger seeds were positively correlated with higher seed and seedling survival rates. The trade-off, the relation between seed mass, seed and seedling survival, and other fitness components of the plant life-cycle were integrated within a matrix population model. The model confirms that the plastic response resulted in average fitness benefits across the life-cycle. Plasticity resulted in average fitness being positively maintained at the wet and dry range margins where extinction risks would otherwise have been high (“Jack-of-all-Trades” strategy JT), and fitness being maximized at the species range centre where extinction risks were already low (“Master-of-Some” strategy MS). The resulting hybrid “Jack-and-Master” strategy (JM) broadened the geographic range and amplified average fitness in the range centre. Our study provides the first empirical evidence for a JM species. It also confirms mechanistically the importance of phenotypic plasticity in determining the size, the shape and the dynamic of a species distribution. The JM allows rapid and reversible phenotypic responses to new or changing moisture conditions at different scales, providing the species with definite advantages over genetic adaptation when invading diverse and variable environments. Furthermore, natural selection pressure acting on phenotypic plasticity is predicted to result in maintenance of the JT and strengthening of the MS, further enhancing the species invasiveness in its range centre.
Extracted statement — hypothesis: Phenotypic plasticity
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Phenotypic divergence of exotic fish populations is shaped by spatial proximity and habitat differences across an invaded landscape
Abstract: Background: Brown trout (Salmo trutta) were introduced into, and subsequently colonized, a number of disparate watersheds on the island of Newfoundland, Canada (110,638 km 2 ), starting in 1883. Questions: Do environmental features of recently invaded habitats shape population-level phenotypic variability? Are patterns of phenotypic variability suggestive of parallel adaptive divergence? And does the extent of phenotypic divergence increase as a function of distance between populations? Hypotheses: Populations that display similar phenotypes will inhabit similar environments. Patterns in morphology, coloration, and growth in an invasive stream-dwelling fish should be consistent with adaptation, and populations closer to each other should be more similar than should populations that are farther apart. Organism and study system: Sixteen brown trout populations of probable common descent, inhabiting a gradient of environments. These populations include the most ancestral (∼130 years old) and most recently established (∼20 years old). Analytical methods: We used multivariate statistical techniques to quantify morphological (e.g. body shape via geometric morphometrics and linear measurements of traits), meristic (e.g. counts of pigmentation spots), and growth traits from 1677 individuals. To account for ontogenetic and allometric effects on morphology, we conducted separate analyses on three distinct size/age classes. We used the BIO-ENV routine and Mantel tests to measure the correlation between phenotypic and habitat features. Results: Phenotypic similarity was significantly correlated with environmental similarity, especially in the larger size classes of fish. The extent to which these associations between phenotype and habitat result from parallel evolution, adaptive phenotypic plasticity, or historical founder effects is not known. Observed patterns of body shape and fin sizes were generally consistent with predictions of adaptive trait patterns, but other traits showed less consistent patterns with habitat features. Phenotypic differences increased as a function of straight-line distance (km) between watersheds and to a lesser extent fish dispersal distances, which suggests habitat has played a more significant role in shaping population phenotypes compared with founder effects.
Extracted statement — hypothesis: Phenotypic plasticity
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Invasive Microstegium populations consistently outperform native range populations across diverse environments
Abstract: Plant species introduced into novel ranges may become invasive due to evolutionary change, phenotypic plasticity, or other biotic or abiotic mechanisms. Evolution of introduced populations could be the result of founder effects, drift, hybridization, or adaptation to local conditions, which could enhance the invasiveness of introduced species. However, understanding whether the success of invading populations is due to genetic differences between native and introduced populations may be obscured by origin x environment interactions. That is, studies conducted under a limited set of environmental conditions may show inconsistent results if native or introduced populations are differentially adapted to specific conditions. We tested for genetic differences between native and introduced populations, and for origin x environment interactions, between native (China) and introduced (U.S.) populations of the invasive annual grass Microstegium vimineum (stiltgrass) across 22 common gardens spanning a wide range of habitats and environmental conditions. On average, introduced populations produced 46% greater biomass and had 7.4% greater survival, and outperformed native range populations in every common garden. However, we found no evidence that introduced Microstegium exhibited greater phenotypic plasticity than native populations. Biomass of Microstegium was positively correlated with light and resident community richness and biomass across the common gardens. However, these relationships were equivalent for native and introduced populations, suggesting that the greater mean performance of introduced populations is not due to unequal responses to specific environmental parameters. Our data on performance of invasive and native populations suggest that post-introduction evolutionary changes may have enhanced the invasive potential of this species. Further, the ability of Microstegium to survive and grow across the wide variety of environmental conditions demonstrates that few habitats are immune to invasion.
Extracted statement — hypothesis: Phenotypic plasticity
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Multispecies comparison reveals that invasive and native plants differ in their traits but not in their plasticity
Abstract: Summary 1. Plastic responses to spatiotemporal environmental variation strongly influence species distribution, with widespread species expected to have high phenotypic plasticity. Theoretically, high phenotypic plasticity has been linked to plant invasiveness because it facilitates colonization and rapid spreading over large and environmentally heterogeneous new areas. 2. To determine the importance of phenotypic plasticity for plant invasiveness, we compare well-known exotic invasive species with widespread native congeners. First, we characterized the phenotype of 20 invasive–native ecologically and phylogenetically related pairs from the Mediterranean region by measuring 20 different traits involved in resource acquisition, plant competition ability and stress tolerance. Second, we estimated their plasticity across nutrient and light gradients. 3. On average, invasive species had greater capacity for carbon gain and enhanced performance over a range of limiting to saturating resource availabilities than natives. However, both groups responded to environmental variations with high albeit similar levels of trait plasticity. Therefore, contrary to the theory, the extent of phenotypic plasticity was not significantly higher for invasive plants. 4. We argue that the combination of studying mean values of a trait with its plasticity can render insightful conclusions on functional comparisons of species such as those exploring the performance of species coexisting in heterogeneous and changing environments.
Extracted statement — hypothesis: Phenotypic plasticity
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: High temperature tolerance and thermal plasticity in emerald ash borer Agrilus planipennis
Abstract: 1 The emerald ash borer Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) (EAB), an invasive wood‐boring beetle, has recently caused significant losses of native ash (Fraxinus spp.) trees in North America. Movement of wood products has facilitated EAB spread, and heat sanitation of wooden materials according to International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15 (ISPM 15) is used to prevent this. 2 In the present study, we assessed the thermal conditions experienced during a typical heat‐treatment at a facility using protocols for pallet wood treatment under policy PI‐07, as implemented in Canada. The basal high temperature tolerance of EAB larvae and pupae was determined, and the observed heating rates were used to investigate whether the heat shock response and expression of heat shock proteins occurred in fourth‐instar larvae. 3 The temperature regime during heat treatment greatly exceeded the ISPM 15 requirements of 56 °C for 30 min. Emerald ash borer larvae were highly tolerant of elevated temperatures, with some instars surviving exposure to 53 °C without any heat pre‐treatments. High temperature survival was increased by either slow warming or pre‐exposure to elevated temperatures and a recovery regime that was accompanied by up‐regulated hsp70 expression under some of these conditions. 4 Because EAB is highly heat tolerant and exhibits a fully functional heat shock response, we conclude that greater survival than measured in vitro is possible under industry treatment conditions (with the larvae still embedded in the wood). We propose that the phenotypic plasticity of EAB may lead to high temperature tolerance very close to conditions experienced in an ISPM 15 standard treatment.
Extracted statement — hypothesis: Phenotypic plasticity
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Relatedness predicts phenotypic plasticity in plants better than weediness
Abstract: Background: Weedy non-native species have long been predicted to be more phenotypically plastic than native species. Question: Are weedy non-native species more plastic than natives? Organisms: Fourteen perennial plant species: Acer platanoides, Acer saccharum, Bromus inermis, Bromus latiglumis, Celastrus orbiculatus, Celastrus scandens, Elymus repens, Elymus trachycaulus, Plantago major, Plantago rugelii, Rosa multiflora, Rosa palustris, Solanum dulcamara, and Solanum carolinense. Field site: Mesic old-field in Dryden, NY (422749″N, 762640″W). Methods: We grew seven pairs of native and non-native plant congeners in the field and tested their responses to reduced competition and the addition of fertilizer. We measured the plasticity of six traits related to growth and leaf palatability (total length, leaf dry mass, maximum relative growth rate, leaf toughness, trichome density, and specific leaf area). Conclusions: Weedy non-native species did not differ consistently from natives in their phenotypic plasticity. Instead, relatedness was a better predictor of plasticity.
Extracted statement — hypothesis: Phenotypic plasticity