NewPhytologistPriorityEffects

For more information, see: Wilsey, Brian J., Barber, Kaitlin, and Leanne M. Martin. 2014. Exotic grassland species have stronger priority effects than natives regardless of whether they are cultivated or wild genotypes. IN PRESS NEW PHYTOLOGIST

During community assembly, early arriving exotic species might suppress other species to a greater extent than native species do. Because most exotics were intentionally introduced, we hypothesize there was human selection on regeneration traits during introduction. This could have occurred at the across- or within-species level (e.g., during cultivar development). We tested these predictions by seeding a single species that was either native, exotic ‘wild-type’ (from their native range), or exotic ‘cultivated’ using 28 grassland species in a glasshouse experiment. Priority effects were assessed by measuring species’ effect on establishment of species from a seed mix added 21 days later. Exotic species had higher germination and earlier emergence dates than native species, and differences were found in both ‘wild’ and ‘cultivated’ exotics. Exotic species reduced biomass and species diversity of later arriving species much more than native species, regardless of seed source. Results indicate that in situations where priority effects are likely to be strong: 1) effects will be greater when an exotic species arrives first than when a native species arrives first, and 2) this difference is not merely a result of exotic species being cultivated, but that it might be a general native-exotic difference that deserves further study. Data on regeneration traits and biomass at harvest are included.