Maintenance of High Genetic Diversity during Invasion of<i>Rhododendron ponticum</i>

Erfmeier, Alexandra; Bruelheide, Helge

doi:10.1086/660194

Cited by 9 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 67 publications

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“…Consistently, the AFLP data displayed a clear distinction between all R. ponticum taxa on the one hand and the two North American species on the other hand. In contrast, the present findings confirm the previously encountered high phenotypic similarity between Spanish and Irish R. ponticum Bruelheide 2005, 2010) as well as the Iberian provenance of invasive occurrences (Milne and Abbott 2000;Erfmeier and Bruelheide 2011) and, thus, suggest that mechanisms alternative to hybridization have to be considered.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

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Genetic and phenotypic differentiation between invasive and native Rhododendron (Ericaceae) taxa and the role of hybridization

Erfmeier

Tsaliki

Ross

et al. 2011

Ecology and Evolution

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Hybridization has been repeatedly put forward to explain the invasiveness of Rhododendron ponticum L. in the British Isles. The present study investigates the pattern of ecotypic differentiation and hybridization among native North American R. catawbiense and R. maximum, native R. ponticum from Georgia and Spain, and invasive R. ponticum from Ireland and aims to assess the contribution of hybridization for Rhododendron invasion in the British Isles. Six populations per taxon were analyzed with AFLP markers for genetic dissimilarity, subjected to germination and growth experiments, and tested for frost hardiness. We assessed variation in morphological and ecological characteristics to identify traits displaying evidence of hybridization, thus, promoting invasiveness. Molecular marker analyses revealed a clear distinction between North American R. catawbiense and R. maximum on the one hand, and all R. ponticum populations on the other hand, displaying a complete intermixture of native Spanish and invasive Irish populations. Multivariate analyses of traits revealed leaf length–width ratio, relative growth rates (RGRs) in leaf length, root biomass, and shoot–root ratio to significantly discriminate between the different taxa and unequivocally assigned invasive Irish R. ponticum to the Spanish phenotypes. While the Irish R. ponticum had similar growth traits as conspecific native R. ponticum provenances, germination and biomass allocation were more similar to North American R. catawbiense and R. maximum. Hybridization did not contribute to explaining invasiveness of R. ponticum in Ireland. The similarity in germination and biomass allocation of invasive Irish R. ponticum and North American species has evolved independently and can more probably be attributed to an independent shift within the Ponticum cluster in Ireland.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…Genotyping was performed using the Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) technique according to Vos et al (1995) with modifications as described in Erfmeier and Bruelheide (2011). For each leaf sample, a total of three amplification procedures were run, including each DNA of two separate extractions.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic and phenotypic differentiation between invasive and native Rhododendron (Ericaceae) taxa and the role of hybridization

Erfmeier

Tsaliki

Ross

et al. 2011

Ecology and Evolution

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“…the magnitude of change observed for nectar GTX I (whereas GTX III showed no difference between ranges) and B.) that introduced populations in Ireland are known to retain levels of genetic and morphological diversity comparable to that found in the ancestral range (Erfmeier & Bruelheide ; Stout et al . ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 77%

Plant toxin levels in nectar vary spatially across native and introduced populations

et al. 2016

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Summary Secondary compounds in nectar can function as toxic chemical defences against floral antagonists, but may also mediate plant–pollinator interactions. Despite their ecological importance, few studies have investigated patterns of spatial variation in toxic nectar compounds in plant species, and none outside their native range. Grayanotoxin I (GTX I) occurs in nectar of invasive Rhododendron ponticum where it is toxic to honeybees and some solitary bee species. We examined (i) geographic variation in the composition of nectar GTX I, as well as GTX III (which is not toxic to these species), in the native and introduced range of R. ponticum, (ii) how their expression is structured at patch and landscape scales within ranges, and (iii) whether climatic and environmental factors underpin spatial patterns. While both GTXs varied within ranges, variation in GTX I, but not GTX III, was detected between ranges. GTX I expression was thus markedly lower or (in 18% of cases) absent from nectar in introduced plants. Spatial autocorrelation was apparent at both patch and landscape scales and in part related to heat load interception by plants (a function of latitude, aspect and slope). As expression of nectar GTXs was generally robust to environmental variation, and aggregated in space, this trait has the potential to be spatially discriminated by consumers. Given the specificity of change to GTX I, and its differential toxicity to some bee species, we conclude that its expression was likely to have been influenced during invasion by interaction with herbivores/consumers, either via pollinator‐mediated selection or enemy release from floral antagonists. Synthesis. As the first demonstration of large‐scale geographic variation and spatial structure in toxic nectar compounds, this work deepens our understanding of the chemical ecology of floral interactions in native and introduced species. Spatially explicit studies of nectar secondary compounds are thus required to show how the extent and structure of spatial variation may affect floral ecology. Future development of invasion theory should incorporate a holistic view of plant defence, beyond antagonistic interactions, which integrates the consequences of chemically defended mutualist rewards.

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“…In this study, we investigated the genetic diversity and structural patterns of big tree rhododendron both within and between the only known two natural populations. We used amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers because this technique has been successfully employed in other studies that evaluated the genetic diversity of other Rhododendron species ( Escaravage et al 1998 ; Chappell et al 2008 ; Erfmeier and Bruelheide 2011 ; Zhao et al 2012 a ; Li et al . 2012 a ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic diversity and population structure of an extremely endangered species: the world's largest Rhododendron

Shen

Zhang

et al. 2015

AoB PLANTS

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This is the first study of the genetic diversity and structure of the big tree rhododendron, Rhododendron protistum var. giganteum, which is a highly endangered species with only two known endemic populations in a small area in the southern part of Yunnan Province in China. We detected moderate to high genetic diversity at the species level, but low genetic differentiation between the two extant populations. These results suggest that some rare and endangered species are able to maintain high levels of genetic diversity even at small population sizes.

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Maintenance of High Genetic Diversity during Invasion ofRhododendron ponticum

Cited by 9 publications

References 67 publications

Genetic and phenotypic differentiation between invasive and native Rhododendron (Ericaceae) taxa and the role of hybridization

Genetic and phenotypic differentiation between invasive and native Rhododendron (Ericaceae) taxa and the role of hybridization

Plant toxin levels in nectar vary spatially across native and introduced populations

Genetic diversity and population structure of an extremely endangered species: the world's largest Rhododendron

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