Loss of plasticity in life‐history strategy associated with secondary invasion into stressful environments in invasive narrowleaf plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.)

Abstract

Adaptation to changing environments is a fundamental process occurring throughout a species' range, particularly under novel and stressful conditions at the range-edges of invasive species. However, the evolutionary consequences associated with adaptation are still poorly understood. Secondary invasion into stressful areas may incur fitness costs that could limit range expansion. In addition, developmental plasticity is predicted to be lost under strong selection in stressful habitats. We assessed populations across a range transect of an invasive plant (Plantago lanceolata L.) for a loss of developmental plasticity and for adaptation costs, where there was prior expansion inland into stressful and novel areas from relatively benign areas closer to the coast. In the glasshouse, we grew plants from seed originating from two secondary invasion locations (near-edge and edge), and from the range centre location representing the area of primary invasion. Plants were exposed to high or low nutrient treatment, and novel copper stress and control (no copper) treatment to assess adaptation costs associated with secondary invasion. In addition, we compared the costs in near-edge and edge plants. Developmental plasticity in life-history traits was lost for secondary invasion plants compared to plants from the range centre. Plants from secondary invasion locations expressed a slower life-history under both nutrient treatments. In contrast, range-centre plants were able to switch to a faster life-history under high nutrient treatment. Our copper treatment had only slight effects on plants, where they expressed intermediate specific leaf area (SLA) under copper treatment. Near-edge plants had the lowest plant size and reproduction. The loss of plasticity associated with secondary invasion may have implications on evolution in range-edge populations. Phenotypic plasticity may have initially mediated ecological adaptation to stressful habitats; however, adaptation to stressful conditions can also have the consequence of inhibiting further range expansion in invasive species.

Rapid loss of phenotypic plasticity in the introduced range of the beach daisy, Arctotheca populifolia

“…Although this process has been predicted theoretically (Crispo et al., 2010; Gomez‐Mestre & Jovani, 2013; Lande, 2009, 2016), it is very difficult to prove empirically without tracking the change in plasticity through time, and while previous work has tracked change in traits through time (Flores‐Moreno et al., 2015), this would be more difficult to achieve for plasticity. However, consistent with this idea, there is evidence for a loss of plasticity in a secondary invasion of Plantago lanceolata (Wan et al., 2018).…”

Two reproductive traits show contrasting genetic architectures in Plantago lanceolata

“…The map contained 47 evenly spaced markers along six LGs, with an average marker spacing of 10.1 cM, which was ideal spacing to maximize the resolving power of our marker-QTL linkage experiment (Darvasi et al, 1993). Thus, the map provides insights about the genome of a nonmodel perennial plant species that has been and continues to be the subject of research in the areas of ecology and evolution (e.g., Halbritter, Billeter, Edwards, & Alexander, 2015;Levsen, Bergero, Charlesworth, & Wolff, 2016;Marshall et al, 2019;Ravenscroft et al, 2015;Wan, Fazlioglu, & Bonser, 2018;Watson-Lazowski et al, 2016) and agriculture (e.g., Gupta, 2017;Miglécz et al, 2015;Patton, Weisenberger, & Schortgen, 2018). Also, the study raises questions for future genetic research in P. lanceolata, such as examining further the genetic control of thermal plasticity.…”

Where to draw the boundaries? Using landscape genomics to disentangle the scribbly gum species complex

“…and 2500 km long that run in a north–south direction (Keast, 1981; Taylor, 1994). The climate to the west of the GDR is relatively dry with frost compared to milder conditions near to the coast in the east (Wan et al, 2018). The Hunter River is a large river system (c. 300 km long, Rogers et al, 2014) that divides the North Coast of New South Wales (which has a hotter and more humid climate, Bryant and Krosch, 2016) from the Sydney Basin (known for its mild winters and warm summers, Lim and Duflou, 2008).…”