Trait values, not trait plasticity, best explain invasive species' performance in a changing environment.

ABSTRACT: The question of why some introduced species become invasive and others do not is the central puzzle of invasion biology. Two of the principal explanations for this phenomenon concern functional traits: invasive species may have higher values of competitively advantageous traits than non-invasive species, or they may have greater phenotypic plasticity in traits that permits them to survive the colonization period and spread to a broad range of environments. Although there is a large body of evidence for superiority in particular traits among invasive plants, when compared to phylogenetically related non-invasive plants, it is less clear if invasive plants are more phenotypically plastic, and whether this plasticity confers a fitness advantage. In this study, I used a model group of 10 close

SUBMITTER: Matzek V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3485323 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature