Niche dynamics of alien species do not differ among sexual and apomictic flowering plants

Author(s)
Agnes Dellinger, Franz Essl, Diego Hojsgaard, Bernhard Kirchheimer, Simon Klatt, Wayne Dawson, Jan Pergl, Petr Pysek, Mark Van Kleunen, Ewald Weber, Marten Winter, Elvira Hörandl, Stefan Dullinger
Abstract

Biological invasions can be associated with shifts of the species’ climatic niches but the incidence of such shifts is under debate. The reproductive system might be a key factor controlling such shifts because it influences a species’ evolutionary flexibility. However, the link between reproductive systems and niche dynamics in plant invasions has been little studied so far.
We compiled global occurrence data sets of 13 congeneric sexual and apomictic species pairs, and used principal components analysis (PCA) and kernel smoothers to compare changes in climatic niche optima, breadths and unfilling/expansion between native and alien ranges. Niche change metrics were compared between sexual and apomictic species.
All 26 species showed changes in niche optima and/or breadth and 14 species significantly expanded their climatic niches. However, we found no effect of the reproductive system on niche dynamics. Instead, species with narrower native niches showed higher rates of niche expansion in the alien ranges.
Our results suggest that niche shifts are frequent in plant invasions but evolutionary potential may not be of major importance for such shifts. Niche dynamics rather appear to be driven by changes of the realized niche without adaptive change of the fundamental climatic niche.

Organisation(s)
Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research
External organisation(s)
Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Universität Konstanz, Czech Academy of Sciences, Charles University Prague, Universität Potsdam, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv)
Journal
New Phytologist
Volume
209
Pages
1313-1323
No. of pages
11
ISSN
0028-646X
Publication date
2015
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
106008 Botany, 106012 Evolutionary research, 106001 General biology, 106042 Systematic botany
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Physiology, Plant Science
Portal url
https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/en/publications/niche-dynamics-of-alien-species-do-not-differ-among-sexual-and-apomictic-flowering-plants(c9492b94-dd02-4f30-9278-bf37b486c1e0).html