Polyploidization contributes to evolution of competitive ability: a long term common garden study on the invasive Solidago canadensis in China

作者：Jiliang Cheng, Xianghong Yang, Lifang Xue, Beibei Yao, Huan Lu, Zhongsai Tian, Jun Li, Xin Zhou, Yu Zhang, Muhammad Zia Ul Haq, Shuqi Wu, Xiaoling Song, Shuijin Hu, Sheng Qiang · 发表于：Oikos · 年份：2020 · DOI：10.1111/oik.07095 · 被引用次数：53 · 研究领域：Chromosomal and Genetic Variations、Weed Control and Herbicide Applications、Evolution and Genetic Dynamics

Plant invasion initiates with the establishment of an alien species population that begins interacting with the existing community in the invaded habitat. Competitive ability may confer advantage to invasive species during establishment. Autopolyploidy has been shown to significantly contribute to successful invasion of China by Solidago canadensis that is native to North America. But how polyploidization improves competitive ability and determines the dominance of invasive species when competing with a plant community in the introduced range remains unclear. Here, we manipulated the initial plant composition of plowed land and subsequently allowed natural colonization by S. canadensis in a five‐year common garden experiment. Diploid, tetraploid and hexaploid populations collected in North America (native range) and East Asia (introduced range) were separately planted and allowed to compete with associated weeds in individual plots. The diversity and compositional variation of the plant communities and the growth characteristics of S. canadensis were investigated in summer and autumn each year. Based on how the community assembled, three outcomes were found: 1) S. canadensis outcompeted local vegetation: tetraploids and hexaploids from the introduced range outcompeted associated weeds and were dominant at equilibrium; 2) S. canadensis coexisted with local vegetation: hexaploids from the native range were competitive but ultimately could not outcompete the local vegetation; an...