DOI: 10.5061/dryad.g4f4qrg18
title: The role of preadapted traits and turfgrass community resistance in Taraxacum officinale invasion success

description: Invasive non-native species often exhibit traits in their invaded range
 that differ from those of the conspecifics in their home range, and this
 difference may contribute to success in invaded habitats. Despite such
 trait shifts, however, non-native species can encounter biotic resistance
 in invaded habitats from established, diverse communities that must be
 disturbed for successful invasion. The objective of this experimental
 greenhouse study was to investigate the invasion dynamics of Taraxacum
 officinale (common dandelion) by comparing the recruitment, growth and
 trait variation of invaded-range (U.S.) and home-range (Europe)
 conspecifics in the presence of single- and multi-species turfgrass
 communities. Wild-collected native and non-native T. officinale seeds were
 introduced to greenhouse trays containing turfgrass communities of
 Digitaria sanguinalis, Lolium multiflorum, Festuca arundinacea or all
 three combined. Given that invasion success often decreases with increased
 community richness, I expected greater T. officinale success in
 single-species treatments than in all-species turfgrass treatments. Given
 that some invaded-range plant species demonstrate greater competitive
 abilities than their home-range conspecifics, I also predicted that the
 invaded-range T. officinale plants would better recruit (germination and
 seedling success) and compete in turfgrass community plots than home-range
 plants. The invaded-range T. officinale indeed had higher seed germination
 success than home-range plants, particularly in disturbed, competitor-free
 environments. The invaded-range plants also allocated more resources
 toward above-ground growth and larger leaves, particularly when competing
 with tall grasses, indicating a strategy focused on light competition.
 Despite these shifts, however, neither invaded- nor home-range plants
 performed particularly well in competitive turfgrass plots. Whereas
 phenotypic plasticity has been suggested as a key factor in invasion
 success, the invaded-range T. officinale exhibited less plasticity in
 root-to-shoot ratios and specific leaf area than their home-range
 counterparts. These findings suggest that invasive success in T.
 officinale is likely driven by preadapted traits, such as high germination
 rates and enhanced light-harvesting strategies, that facilitate the plants
 in disturbed habitats.
description: # The role of preadapted traits and turfgrass community resistance in
 Taraxacum officinale invasion success
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.g4f4qrg18](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.g4f4qrg18) ## Description of the data and file structure Flat = planting tray divided into 4 plots Treatment = Crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis), Fescue (Festuca arundinacea), Ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum), ``` All (all three grasses combined) or Control (no grasses) ``` Origin = Home (Western Ireland), Invaded (Western New York) Sdls = count of surviving dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) seedlings LN = dandelion leaf number LA.cm2 = dandelion leaf area in square centimeters Treat.bio = biomass (g) of treatment grass Dand.above = biomass (g) of aboveground dandelion tissue Dand.below = biomass (g) of belowground dandelion tissue NA = missing data ## Code/software R statistical program.