Inter- and intraspecific selection in alien plants: how population growth, functional traits and climate responses change with residence time

Aim: When alien species are introduced to new ranges, climate or trait mismatches may initially constrain their population growth. However, inter- and intraspecific selection in the new environment should cause population growth rates to increase with residence time. Using a species-for-time approach, we test whether with increasing residence time (a) negative effects of climatic mismatches between the species’ new and native range on population growth weaken, and (b) functional traits converge towards values that maximize population growth in the new range.

Location: Germany.

Time period: 12,000 years BP to present.

Major taxa studied: 46 plant species of the Asteraceae family.

Methods: We set up a common-garden mesocosm-experiment using annual plant species with a wide range of residence times (7-12,000 years) and followed their population dynamics over two years. We calculated climatic distance between the common garden and the species’ native range. We also measured key ...