Aims Seeds of many invasive plants germinate more quickly than those of native species,likely facilitating invasion success.Assessing the germination traits and seed properties simultaneously for introduced and native...Aims Seeds of many invasive plants germinate more quickly than those of native species,likely facilitating invasion success.Assessing the germination traits and seed properties simultaneously for introduced and native populations of an invasive plant is essential to understanding biological invasions.Here,we used Triadica sebifera as a study organism to examine intraspecific differences in seed germination together with seed characteristics.Methods We measured physical(volume,mass,coat hardness and coat thickness of seeds)and chemical(crude fat,soluble protein,sugar,gibberellins[GA]and abscisic acid[ABA]of kernels)properties of T.sebifera seeds collected in 2017 from 12 introduced(United States)populations and 12 native(China)populations and tested their germination rates and timing in a greenhouse experiment in China.Furthermore,we conducted an extra experiment in the United States using seeds collected in 2016 and 2017 to compare the effects of study sites(China vs.United States)and seed collection time(2016 vs.2017)on seed germination.Important Findings Seeds from the introduced range germinated faster than those from the native range.Physical and chemical measurements showed that seeds from the introduced range were larger,had higher GA concentrations and GA:ABA ratio,but lower crude fat concentrations compared to those from the native range.There were no significant differences in seed mass,coat hardness and coat thickness or kernel ABA,soluble protein or sugar concentrations between seeds from introduced vs.native ranges.Germination rates were correlated between United States and China greenhouses but germination rates for populations varied between collection years.Our results suggest that larger seeds and higher GA likely contribute to faster germination,potentially facilitating T.sebifera invasion in the introduced range.展开更多
Globalization of social and economic activities has led to the large-scale redistribution of plant species.It is still unclear how the traits aid the successful invasion of alien species.Here,we downloaded global plan...Globalization of social and economic activities has led to the large-scale redistribution of plant species.It is still unclear how the traits aid the successful invasion of alien species.Here,we downloaded global plant trait data from the TRY-Plant Trait Database and classified alien species in China into four groups:high,medium,need attention and harmless according to their distribution and degree of harm to local plant communities based on existed studies.The relationship between plant functional traits and invasion level was clarified,and we established a prediction model based on plant functional traits and taxonomy.The results showed that species with smaller seeds,smaller individuals,lower special leaf area and longer seed bank longevity(SL)are more likely to be an invasive species after introduction to foreign ecosystems.In summary,exotic species with longer SL and lower seed dry mass are more likely to be invasive in China.We also trained two predictive models to check if we can predict a species’invasion.Combining the two models together,statistically,we could predict if a species is invasive from its traits and taxonomy with a 91.84%accuracy.This model could help local governments,managers and stakeholders to evaluate shall we introduce some plant species in China.展开更多
基金The National Key Research and Development Program of China(2017YFC1200100)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31470447 and 31822007).
文摘Aims Seeds of many invasive plants germinate more quickly than those of native species,likely facilitating invasion success.Assessing the germination traits and seed properties simultaneously for introduced and native populations of an invasive plant is essential to understanding biological invasions.Here,we used Triadica sebifera as a study organism to examine intraspecific differences in seed germination together with seed characteristics.Methods We measured physical(volume,mass,coat hardness and coat thickness of seeds)and chemical(crude fat,soluble protein,sugar,gibberellins[GA]and abscisic acid[ABA]of kernels)properties of T.sebifera seeds collected in 2017 from 12 introduced(United States)populations and 12 native(China)populations and tested their germination rates and timing in a greenhouse experiment in China.Furthermore,we conducted an extra experiment in the United States using seeds collected in 2016 and 2017 to compare the effects of study sites(China vs.United States)and seed collection time(2016 vs.2017)on seed germination.Important Findings Seeds from the introduced range germinated faster than those from the native range.Physical and chemical measurements showed that seeds from the introduced range were larger,had higher GA concentrations and GA:ABA ratio,but lower crude fat concentrations compared to those from the native range.There were no significant differences in seed mass,coat hardness and coat thickness or kernel ABA,soluble protein or sugar concentrations between seeds from introduced vs.native ranges.Germination rates were correlated between United States and China greenhouses but germination rates for populations varied between collection years.Our results suggest that larger seeds and higher GA likely contribute to faster germination,potentially facilitating T.sebifera invasion in the introduced range.
基金supported by National Forestry and Grassland Administration Emergency Leading the Charge with Open Competition Project(202302)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central University(BLX202250).
文摘Globalization of social and economic activities has led to the large-scale redistribution of plant species.It is still unclear how the traits aid the successful invasion of alien species.Here,we downloaded global plant trait data from the TRY-Plant Trait Database and classified alien species in China into four groups:high,medium,need attention and harmless according to their distribution and degree of harm to local plant communities based on existed studies.The relationship between plant functional traits and invasion level was clarified,and we established a prediction model based on plant functional traits and taxonomy.The results showed that species with smaller seeds,smaller individuals,lower special leaf area and longer seed bank longevity(SL)are more likely to be an invasive species after introduction to foreign ecosystems.In summary,exotic species with longer SL and lower seed dry mass are more likely to be invasive in China.We also trained two predictive models to check if we can predict a species’invasion.Combining the two models together,statistically,we could predict if a species is invasive from its traits and taxonomy with a 91.84%accuracy.This model could help local governments,managers and stakeholders to evaluate shall we introduce some plant species in China.
