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Trade-offs between growth and defence in two phylogenetically close invasive species

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Abstract

The success of an invasive plant species could be explained by trade-off between growth and defence. The aim of this paper was to explore the responses of two non-native aquatic macrophytes Elodea canadensis and Elodea nuttallii to herbivores in their introduced range. We assessed the palatability of the two phylogenetically close aquatic plant species in field and their responses to gammarid consumption in spring, summer and autumn in a microcosm experiment. We measured the variation of functional traits for each season. The traits selected were those judged most closely related to the allocation of resources to growth or to resistance against herbivores. We clearly established that the strategies of the two species were different and that their consumption rate differed in summer. In summer, E. canadensis allocated more of its resources to structural defence (leaf toughness). The increase in leaf thickness reduced the palatability of E. canadensis, whereas E. nuttallii stimulated its growth. Moreover, a decrease in dry matter content in E. nuttallii was found during the growing season in field. In autumn, both plant species accumulated nitrogen and phosphorus in their tissues. We also demonstrated that neither species induced efficient chemical defences against the herbivores. The different strategies of these two Elodea species could be explained by their different resident times in the introduced area and by an adaptation of the naturalised E. canadensis to herbivores.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Philippe Rousselle and to Etienne Morhain for laboratory analyses. This study was supported by a doctoral research grant from the ‘Conseil Régional de Lorraine’.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. UMR CNRS ECOBIO 6553, Université de Rennes 1, Campus de Beaulieu, Avenue du général Leclerc, F-35042, Rennes, France

    Gabrielle Thiébaut

  2. CNRS UMR 7360 Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Continental Environments, Université de Lorraine, Campus Bridoux, Avenue du général Delestraint, F-57070, Metz, France

    Anatole Boiché

  3. UMR CNRS 5023 Laboratoire d’Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes Naturels et Anthropisés, Université de Lyon 1, ENTPE, 43 Boulevard du 11 novembre 1918, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France

    Damien Lemoine & Marie-Hélène Barrat-Segretain

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  1. Gabrielle Thiébaut
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  2. Anatole Boiché
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  3. Damien Lemoine
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  4. Marie-Hélène Barrat-Segretain
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Correspondence to Gabrielle Thiébaut.

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Handling Editor: Kevin Murphy.

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Thiébaut, G., Boiché, A., Lemoine, D. et al. Trade-offs between growth and defence in two phylogenetically close invasive species. Aquat Ecol 51, 405–415 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-017-9625-4

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