![Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology](../../assets/md5images/7d7b871c31ea65bfa5ee1bd41cca8e9e.gif)
Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-2014
Abstract
Ecological explanations for the success and persistence of invasive species vastly outnumber evolutionary hypotheses, yet evolution is a fundamental process in the success of any species. The Evolution of Increased Competitive Ability (EICA) hypothesis (Blossey and Nötzold 1995) proposes that evolutionary change in response to release from coevolved herbivores is responsible for the success of many invasive plant species. Studies that evaluate this hypothesis have used different approaches to test whether invasive populations allocate fewer resources to defense and more to growth and competitive ability than do source populations, with mixed results. We conducted a meta-analysis of experimental tests of evolutionary change in the context of EICA. In contrast to previous reviews, there was no support across invasive species for EICA's predictions regarding defense or competitive ability, although invasive populations were more productive than conspecific native populations under noncompetitive conditions. We found broad support for genetically based changes in defense and competitive plant traits after introduction into new ranges, but not in the manner suggested by EICA. This review suggests that evolution occurs as a result of plant introduction and population expansion in invasive plant species, and may contribute to the invasiveness and persistence of some introduced species.
doi: 10.1002/ece3.488
Recommended Citation
Ecol Evol. 2013 Mar;3(3):739-51. doi: 10.1002/ece3.488. Epub 2013 Feb 14.
Comments
This article has been funded by the University of Tennessee's Open Publishing Support Fund.