Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Variation in phenotypic plasticity for native and invasive populations of Bromus tectorum

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Biological Invasions Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Phenotypic plasticity is often considered important for invasive plant success, yet relatively few studies have assessed plasticity in both native and invasive populations of the same species. We examined the plastic response to temperature for Bromus tectorum populations collected from similar shrub-steppe environments in the Republics of Armenia and Georgia, where it is native, and along an invasive front in California and Nevada. Plants were grown in growth chambers in either ‘warm’ (30/20 °C, day/night) or ‘cold’ (10/5 °C) conditions. Invasive populations exhibited greater adaptive plasticity than natives for freezing tolerance (as measured by chlorophyll a fluorescence), such that invasive populations grown in the cold treatment exhibited the highest tolerance. Invasive populations also exhibited more rapid seedling emergence in response to warm temperatures compared to native populations. The climatic conditions of population source locations were related to emergence timing for invasive populations and to freezing tolerance across all populations combined. Plasticity in growth-related traits such as biomass, allocation, leaf length, and photosynthesis did not differ between native and invasive populations. Rather, some growth-related traits were very plastic across all populations, which may help to dampen differences in biomass in contrasting environments. Thus, invasive populations were found to be particularly plastic for some important traits such as seedling emergence and freezing tolerance, but plasticity at the species level may also be an important factor in the invasive ability of B. tectorum.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Andonian K, Hierro J (2011) Species interactions contribute to the success of a global plant invader. Biol Invasions 13:2957–2965

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baker HG (1974) The evolution of weeds. Annu Rev Ecol Evol Syst 5:1–24

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beckstead J, Meyer SE, Allen PS (1996) Bromus tectorum seed germination: between-population and between-year variation. Can J Bot 74:875–882

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bossdorf O, Auge H, Lafuma L, Rogers WE, Siemann E, Prati D (2005) Phenotypic and genetic differentiation between native and introduced plant populations. Oecologia 144:1–11

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cano L, Escarre J, Fleck I, Blanco-Moreno JM, Sans FX (2008) Increased fitness and plasticity of an invasive species in its introduced range: a study using Senecio pterophorus. J Ecol 96:468–476

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chun YJ (2011) Phenotypic plasticity of introduced versus native purple loosestrife: univariate and multivariate reaction norm approaches. Biol Invasions 13:819–829

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chun YJ, Collyer ML, Moloney KA, Nason JD (2007) Phenotypic plasticity of native vs. invasive purple loosestrife: a two-state multivariate approach. Ecology 88(6):1499–1512

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Concilio AL, Loik ME, Belnap J (2013) Global change effects on Bromus tectorum L. (Poaceae) at its high-elevation range margin. Glob Change Biol 19:161–172

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davidson AM, Jennions M, Nicotra AB (2011) Do invasive species show higher phenotypic plasticity than native species and, if so, is it adaptive? A meta-analysis. Ecol Lett 14:419–431

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fenesi A, Redei T, Botta-Dukat Z (2011) Hard traits of three Bromus species in their source area explain their current invasive success. Acta Oecol Int J Ecol 37:441–448

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Friedman JM, Roelle JE, Gaskin JF, Pepper AE, Manhart JR (2008) Latitudinal variation in cold hardiness in introduced Tamarix and native Populus. Evol Appl 1:598–607

    PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Ghalambor CK, McKay JK, Carroll SP, Reznick DN (2007) Adaptive versus non-adaptive phenotypic plasticity and the potential for contemporary adaptation in new environments. Funct Ecol 21:394–407

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goergen E, Daehler CC (2001) Reproductive ecology of a native Hawaiian grass (Heteropogon contortus; Poaceae) versus its invasive alien competitor (Pennisetum setaceum; Poaceae). Int J Plant Sci 162:317–326

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Griffith AB (2010) Positive effects of native shrubs on Bromus tectorum demography. Ecology 91:141–154

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Griffith AB, Loik ME (2010) Effects of climate and snow depth on Bromus tectorum population dynamics at high elevation. Oecologia 164:821–832

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kao RH, Brown CS, Hufbauer RA (2008) High phenotypic and molecular variation in downy brome (Bromus tectorum). Invasive Plant Sci Manag 1:216–225

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knapp PA (1996) Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L) dominance in the Great Basin Desert—history, persistence, and influences to human activities. Glob Environ Change 6:37–52

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lambers H, Chapin FS, Pons T (1998) Plant physiological ecology. Springer, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Lavergne S, Molofsky J (2007) Increased genetic variation and evolutionary potential drive the success of an invasive grass. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 104:3883–3888

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Leffler AJ, Monaco TA, James JJ (2011) Nitrogen acquisition by annual and perennial grass seedlings: testing the roles of performance and plasticity to explain plant invasion. Plant Ecol 212:1601–1611

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leger EA, Espeland EK, Merrill KR, Meyer SE (2009) Genetic variation and local adaptation at a cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) invasion edge in western Nevada. Mol Ecol 18:4366–4379

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lowe PN, Lauenroth WK, Burke IC (2003) Effects of nitrogen availability on competition between Bromus tectorum and Bouteloua gracilis. Plant Ecol 167:247–254

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mack RN, Pyke DA (1983) The demography of Bromus tectorum—variation in time and space. J Ecol 71:69–93

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maron JL, Elmendorf SC, Vila M (2007) Contrasting plant physiological adaptation to climate in the native and introduced range of Hypericum perforatum. Evolution 61:1912–1924

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McEwan RW, Birchfield MK, Schoergendorfer A, Arthur MA (2009) Leaf phenology and freeze tolerance of the invasive shrub Amur honeysuckle and potential native competitors. J Torrey Bot Soc 136:212–220

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meimberg H, Milan NF, Karatassiou M, Espeland EK, McKay JK, Rice KJ (2010) Patterns of introduction and adaptation during the invasion of Aegilops triuncialis (Poaceae) into Californian serpentine soils. Mol Ecol 19:5308–5319

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Meyer SE, Allen PS, Beckstead J (1997) Seed germination regulation in Bromus tectorum (Poaceae) and its ecological significance. Oikos 78:475–485

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Novak SJ, Mack RN (1993) Genetic variation in Bromus tectorum (Poaceae)—comparison between native and introduced populations. Heredity 71:167–176

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Novak SJ, Mack RN (2001) Tracing plant introduction and spread: genetic evidence from Bromus tectorum (Cheatgrass). Bioscience 51(2):114–122

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Donnell KL, Pigliucci M (2010) Selection dynamics in native and introduced Persicaria species. Int J Plant Sci 171:519–528

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olson DM, Dinerstein E, Wikramanayake ED, Burgess ND, Powell GVN, Underwood EC, D’Amico JA, Itoua I, Strand HE, Morrison JC, Loucks CJ, Allnutt TF, Ricketts TH, Kura Y, Lamoreux JF, Wettengel WW, Hedao P, Kassem KR (2001) Terrestrial ecoregions of the worlds: a new map of life on Earth. Bioscience 51:933–938

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parker IM, Rodriguez J, Loik ME (2003) An evolutionary approach to understanding the biology of invasions: local adaptation and general-purpose genotypes in the weed Verbascum thapsus. Conserv Biol 17:59–72

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Potvin C (2001) ANOVA: experimental layout and analysis. In: Scheiner SM, Gurevitch J (eds) Design and analysis of ecological experiments. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 63–76

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramakrishnan AP, Meyer SE, Fairbanks DJ, Coleman CE (2006) Ecological significance of microsatellite variation in western North American populations of Bromus tectorum. Plant Species Biol 21:61–73

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rice KJ, Mack RN (1991) Ecological genetics of Bromus tectorum 2: intraspecific variation in phenotypic plasticity. Oecologia 88:84–90

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rice KJ, Black RA, Radamaker G, Evans RD (1992) Photosynthesis, growth, and biomass allocation in habitat ecotypes of cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum). Funct Ecol 6:32–40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richards CL, Bossdorf O, Muth NZ, Gurevitch J, Pigliucci M (2006) Jack of all trades, master of some? On the role of phenotypic plasticity in plant invasions. Ecol Lett 9:981–993

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Roundy BA, Hardegree SP, Chambers JC, Whittaker A (2007) Prediction of cheatgrass field germination potential using wet thermal accumulation. Rangel Ecol Manag 60:613–623

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schlaepfer DR, Glattli M, Fischer M, van Kleunen M (2010) A multi-species experiment in their native range indicates pre-adaptation of invasive alien plant species. New Phytol 185:1087–1099

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sultan SE (2003) Phenotypic plasticity in plants: a case study in ecological development. Evol Dev 5:25–33

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Upadhyaya MK, Turkington R, Mcilvride D (1986) The biology of Canadian weeds 75: Bromus tectorum L. Can J Plant Sci 66:689–709

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Valladares F, Sanchez-Gomez D, Zavala MA (2006) Quantitative estimation of phenotypic plasticity: bridging the gap between the evolutionary concept and its ecological applications. J Ecol 94:1103–1116

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Many thanks to Jim Velzy, Denise Polk, Murdoch McDonald, Devon Arscott, Robert Finer, Katie Griffith, Holly Alpert, Amy Concilio, Ingrid Parker, Katrina Dlugosch, Sarah Swope, Kristina Jones, Grigor Janoyan, Levan Janoyan, Jason Sexton, and the staff of the Valentine Eastern Sierra Reserve. This research was funded by the Environmental Studies Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz and the Wellesley College Botanic Gardens (A.G.), and by a Fulbright Student Fellowship (K.A.).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Studies Program, Wellesley College, 106 Central Street, Wellesley, MA, 02481, USA

    Alden B. Griffith

  2. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA

    Krikor Andonian

  3. Environmental Studies Department, De Anza College, Cupertino, CA, 95014, USA

    Krikor Andonian

  4. Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA

    Charles P. Weiss & Michael E. Loik

Authors
  1. Alden B. Griffith
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Krikor Andonian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Charles P. Weiss
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Michael E. Loik
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alden B. Griffith.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (DOCX 2120 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Griffith, A.B., Andonian, K., Weiss, C.P. et al. Variation in phenotypic plasticity for native and invasive populations of Bromus tectorum . Biol Invasions 16, 2627–2638 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-014-0692-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-014-0692-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation