Moussab/ORKG-training-evaluation-set huggingface dataset:
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Establishment and Management of Native Functional Groups in Restoration
Abstract: The limiting similarity hypothesis predicts that communities should be more resistant to invasion by non‐natives when they include natives with a diversity of traits from more than one functional group. In restoration, planting natives with a diversity of traits may result in competition between natives of different functional groups and may influence the efficacy of different seeding and maintenance methods, potentially impacting native establishment. We compare initial establishment and first‐year performance of natives and the effectiveness of maintenance techniques in uniform versus mixed functional group plantings. We seeded ruderal herbaceous natives, longer‐lived shrubby natives, or a mixture of the two functional groups using drill‐ and hand‐seeding methods. Non‐natives were left undisturbed, removed by hand‐weeding and mowing, or treated with herbicide to test maintenance methods in a factorial design. Native functional groups had highest establishment, growth, and reproduction when planted alone, and hand‐seeding resulted in more natives as well as more of the most common invasive, Brassica nigra. Wick herbicide removed more non‐natives and resulted in greater reproduction of natives, while hand‐weeding and mowing increased native density. Our results point to the importance of considering competition among native functional groups as well as between natives and invasives in restoration. Interactions among functional groups, seeding methods, and maintenance techniques indicate restoration will be easier to implement when natives with different traits are planted separately.
Extracted statement — hypothesis: limiting similarity
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Greater morphological plasticity of exotic honeysuckle species may make them better invaders than native species
Abstract: sempervirens L., a non-invasive native. We hypothesized that greater morphological plasticity may contribute to the ability of L. japonica to occupy more habitat types, and contribute to its invasiveness. We compared the morphology of plants provided with climbing supports with plants that had no climbing supports, and thus quantified their morphological plasticity in response to an important variable in their habitats. The two species responded differently to the treatments, with L. japonica showing greater responses in more characters. For example, Lonicera japonica responded to climbing supports with a 15.3% decrease in internode length, a doubling of internode number and a 43% increase in shoot biomass. In contrast, climbing supports did not influence internode length or shoot biomass for L. sempervirens, and only resulted in a 25% increase in internode number. This plasticity may allow L. japonica to actively place plant modules in favorable microhabitats and ultimately affect plant fitness.
Extracted statement — Species name: Lonicera japonic
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Phenotypic plasticity of native vs. invasive purple loosestrife: A two-state multivariate approach
Abstract: The differences in phenotypic plasticity between invasive (North American) and native (German) provenances of the invasive plant Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife) were examined using a multivariate reaction norm approach testing two important attributes of reaction norms described by multivariate vectors of phenotypic change: the magnitude and direction of mean trait differences between environments. Data were collected for six life history traits from native and invasive plants using a split-plot design with experimentally manipulated water and nutrient levels. We found significant differences between native and invasive plants in multivariate phenotypic plasticity for comparisons between low and high water treatments within low nutrient levels, between low and high nutrient levels within high water treatments, and for comparisons that included both a water and nutrient level change. The significant genotype x environment (G x E) effects support the argument that invasiveness of purple loosestrife is closely associated with the interaction of high levels of soil nutrient and flooding water regime. Our results indicate that native and invasive plants take different strategies for growth and reproduction; native plants flowered earlier and allocated more to flower production, while invasive plants exhibited an extended period of vegetative growth before flowering to increase height and allocation to clonal reproduction, which may contribute to increased fitness and invasiveness in subsequent years.
Extracted statement — Species name: Lythrum salicaria
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Induced defenses in response to an invading crab predator: An explanation of historical and geographic phenotypic change
Abstract: The expression of defensive morphologies in prey often is correlated with predator abundance or diversity over a range of temporal and spatial scales. These patterns are assumed to reflect natural selection via differential predation on genetically determined, fixed phenotypes. Phenotypic variation, however, also can reflect within-generation developmental responses to environmental cues (phenotypic plasticity). For example, water-borne effluents from predators can induce the production of defensive morphologies in many prey taxa. This phenomenon, however, has been examined only on narrow scales. Here, we demonstrate adaptive phenotypic plasticity in prey from geographically separated populations that were reared in the presence of an introduced predator. Marine snails exposed to predatory crab effluent in the field increased shell thickness rapidly compared with controls. Induced changes were comparable to (i) historical transitions in thickness previously attributed to selection by the invading predator and (ii) present-day clinal variation predicted from water temperature differences. Thus, predator-induced phenotypic plasticity may explain broad-scale geographic and temporal phenotypic variation. If inducible defenses are heritable, then selection on the reaction norm may influence coevolution between predator and prey. Trade-offs may explain why inducible rather than constitutive defenses have evolved in several gastropod species.
Extracted statement — Species name: Marine snails
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 — Species name: Microstegium vimineum
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Light Response of Native and Introduced Miscanthus sinensis Seedlings
Abstract: The Asian grass Miscanthus sinensis (Poaceae) is being considered for use as a bioenergy crop in the U.S. Corn Belt. Originally introduced to the United States for ornamental plantings, it escaped, forming invasive populations. The concern is that naturalized M. sinensis populations have evolved shade tolerance. We tested the hypothesis that seedlings from within the invasive U.S. range of M. sinensis would display traits associated with shade tolerance, namely increased area for light capture and phenotypic plasticity, compared with seedlings from the native Japanese populations. In a common garden experiment, seedlings of 80 half-sib maternal lines were grown from the native range (Japan) and 60 half-sib maternal lines from the invasive range (U.S.) under four light levels. Seedling leaf area, leaf size, growth, and biomass allocation were measured on the resulting seedlings after 12 wk. Seedlings from both regions responded strongly to the light gradient. High light conditions resulted in seedlings with greater leaf area, larger leaves, and a shift to greater belowground biomass investment, compared with shaded seedlings. Japanese seedlings produced more biomass and total leaf area than U.S. seedlings across all light levels. Generally, U.S. and Japanese seedlings allocated a similar amount of biomass to foliage and equal leaf area per leaf mass. Subtle differences in light response by region were observed for total leaf area, mass, growth, and leaf size. U.S. seedlings had slightly higher plasticity for total mass and leaf area but lower plasticity for measures of biomass allocation and leaf traits compared with Japanese seedlings. Our results do not provide general support for the hypothesis of increased M. sinensis shade tolerance within its introduced U.S. range compared with native Japanese populations. Nomenclature: Eulaliagrass; Miscanthus sinensis Anderss. Management Implications: Eulaliagrass (Miscanthus sinensis), an Asian species under consideration for biomass production in the Midwest, has escaped ornamental plantings in the United States to form naturalized populations. Evidence suggests that U.S. populations are able to tolerate relatively shady conditions, but it is unclear whether U.S. populations have greater shade tolerance than the relatively shade-intolerant populations within the species' native range in Asia. Increased shade tolerance could result in a broader range of invaded light environments within the introduced range of M. sinensis. However, results from our common garden experiment do not support the hypothesis of increased shade tolerance in introduced U.S. populations compared with seedlings from native Asian populations. Our results do demonstrate that for both U.S. and Japanese populations under low light conditions, M. sinensis seeds germinate and seedlings gain mass and leaf area; therefore, land managers should carefully monitor or eradicate M. sinensis within these habitats.
Extracted statement — Species name: Miscanthus sinensis
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Differential patterns of plasticity to water availability along native and naturalized latitudinal gradients
Abstract: Questions: Does plasticity to water availability differ between native and naturalized and laboratory plant accessions? Is there a relationship between morphological plasticity and a fitness measure? Can we account for latitudinal patterns of plasticity with rainfall data from the seed source location? Organism: We examined an array of 23 native, 14 naturalized, and 5 laboratory accessions of Arabidopsis thaliana. Methods: We employed a split-plot experimental design in the greenhouse with two water treatments. We measured morphological and fitness-related traits at various developmental stages. We utilized a published dataset representing 30-year average precipitation trends for each accession origin. Results: We detected evidence of differential patterns of plasticity between native, naturalized, and laboratory populations for several morphological traits. Native, laboratory, and naturalized populations also differed in which traits were positively associated with fitness, and did not follow the Jack-of-all-trades or Master-of-some scenarios. Significant negative relationships were detected for plasticity in morphological traits with latitude. We found modest evidence that rainfall may play a role in this latitudinal trend.
Extracted statement — Specific traits: Morphological and fitness-related traits
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Variation in morphological characters of two invasive leafminers, Liriomyza huidobrensis and L. sativae, across a tropical elevation gradient
Abstract: Abstract Changes in morphological traits along elevation and latitudinal gradients in ectotherms are often interpreted in terms of the temperature-size rule, which states that the body size of organisms increases under low temperatures, and is therefore expected to increase with elevation and latitude. However other factors like host plant might contribute to spatial patterns in size as well, particularly for polyphagous insects. Here elevation patterns for trait size and shape in two leafminer species are examined, Liriomyza huidobrensis (Blanchard) (Diptera: Agromyzidae) and L. sativae Blanchard, along a tropical elevation gradient in Java, Indonesia. Adult leafminers were trapped from different locations in the mountainous area of Dieng in the province of Central Java. To separate environmental versus genetic effects, L. huidobrensis originating from 1378 m and 2129 m ASL were reared in the laboratory for five generations. Size variation along the elevation gradient was only found in L. huidobrensis and this followed expectations based on the temperature-size rule. There were also complex changes in wing shape along the gradient. Morphological differences were influenced by genetic and environmental effects. Findings are discussed within the context of adaptation to different elevations in the two species.
Extracted statement — Specific traits: Morphological differences
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Intra-population variability of life-history traits and growth during range expansion of the invasive round goby, Neogobius melanostomus
Abstract: Fish can undergo changes in their life-history traits that correspond with local demographic conditions. Under range expansion, a population of non-native fish might then be expected to exhibit a suite of life-history traits that differ between the edge and the centre of the population’s geographic range. To test this hypothesis, life-history traits of an expanding population of round goby, Neogobius melanostomus (Pallas), in early and newly established sites in the Trent River (Ontario, Canada) were compared in 2007 and 2008. Round goby in the area of first introduction exhibited a significant decrease in age at maturity, increased length at age 1 and they increased in GSI from 2007 to 2008. While individuals at the edges of the range exhibited traits that promote population growth under low intraspecific density, yearly variability in life-history traits suggests that additional processes such as declining density and fluctuating food availability are influencing the reproductive strategy and growth of round goby during an invasion.
Extracted statement — Species name: Neogobius melanostomus
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 — Species name: Neovison vison
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Using ecological restoration to constrain biological invasion
Abstract: Summary 1 Biological invasion can permanently alter ecosystem structure and function. Invasive species are difficult to eradicate, so methods for constraining invasions would be ecologically valuable. We examined the potential of ecological restoration to constrain invasion of an old field by Agropyron cristatum, an introduced C3 grass. 2 A field experiment was conducted in the northern Great Plains of North America. One-hundred and forty restored plots were planted in 1994–96 with a mixture of C3 and C4 native grass seed, while 100 unrestored plots were not. Vegetation on the plots was measured periodically between 1994 and 2002. 3 Agropyron cristatum invaded the old field between 1994 and 2002, occurring in 5% of plots in 1994 and 66% of plots in 2002, and increasing in mean cover from 0·2% in 1994 to 17·1% in 2002. However, A. cristatum invaded one-third fewer restored than unrestored plots between 1997 and 2002, suggesting that restoration constrained invasion. Further, A. cristatum cover in restored plots decreased with increasing planted grass cover. Stepwise regression indicated that A. cristatum cover was more strongly correlated with planted grass cover than with distance from the A. cristatum source, species richness, percentage bare ground or percentage litter. 4 The strength of the negative relationship between A. cristatum and planted native grasses varied among functional groups: the correlation was stronger with species with phenology and physiology similar to A. cristatum (i.e. C3 grasses) than with dissimilar species (C4 grasses). 5 Richness and cover of naturally establishing native species decreased with increasing A. cristatum cover. In contrast, restoration had little effect on the establishment and colonization of naturally establishing native species. Thus, A. cristatum hindered colonization by native species while planted native grasses did not. 6 Synthesis and applications. To our knowledge, this study provides the first indication that restoration can act as a filter, constraining invasive species while allowing colonization by native species. These results suggest that resistance to invasion depends on the identity of species in the community and that restoration seed mixes might be tailored to constrain selected invaders. Restoring areas before invasive species become established can reduce the magnitude of biological invasion.
Extracted statement — Continent: North America
Research field: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Title: Plant functional group identity and diversity determine biotic resistance to invasion by an exotic grass
Abstract: Biotic resistance, the ability of species in a community to limit invasion, is central to our understanding of how communities at risk of invasion assemble after disturbances, but it has yet to translate into guiding principles for the restoration of invasion‐resistant plant communities. We combined experimental, functional, and modelling approaches to investigate processes of community assembly contributing to biotic resistance to an introduced lineage of Phragmites australis, a model invasive species in North America. We hypothesized that (i) functional group identity would be a good predictor of biotic resistance to P. australis, while species identity effect would be redundant within functional group (ii) mixtures of species would be more invasion resistant than monocultures. We classified 36 resident wetland plants into four functional groups based on eight functional traits. We conducted two competition experiments based on the additive competition design with P. australis and monocultures or mixtures of wetland plants. As an indicator of biotic resistance, we calculated a relative competition index (RCIavg) based on the average performance of P. australis in competition treatment compared with control. To explain diversity effect further, we partitioned it into selection effect and complementarity effect and tested several diversity–interaction models. In monoculture treatments, RCIavg of wetland plants was significantly different among functional groups, but not within each functional group. We found the highest RCIavg for fast‐growing annuals, suggesting priority effect. RCIavg of wetland plants was significantly greater in mixture than in monoculture mainly due to complementarity–diversity effect among functional groups. In diversity–interaction models, species interaction patterns in mixtures were described best by interactions between functional groups when fitted to RCIavg or biomass, implying niche partitioning. Synthesis. Functional group identity and diversity of resident plant communities are good indicators of biotic resistance to invasion by introduced Phragmites australis, suggesting niche pre‐emption (priority effect) and niche partitioning (diversity effect) as underlying mechanisms. Guiding principles to understand and/or manage biological invasion could emerge from advances in community theory and the use of a functional framework. Targeting widely distributed invasive plants in different contexts and scaling up to field situations will facilitate generalization.
Extracted statement — Continent: North America