Local adaptation to plant-plant interactions and consequences for establishment of invasive species: The example of the annual Erodium cicutarium in Germany and California

• Applicant: Dr. Tina Heger
• Subject Area: Ecology and Biodiversity of Plants and Ecosystems
• Term: from 2011 to 2012
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 207743847

International trade, travel and transport are introducing thousands of species into new regions, in most cases leading to the confrontation of these species with environmental conditions that differ from those in their native range. Plant invasions thus allow scientists to explore the response of plant species to novel environmental conditions. The proposed project will investigate whether or not alien invasive species are locally adapted to specific plant communities, and whether such adaptation controls establishment success in the new range. The influence of plant-plant interactions on the occurrence and expression of local adaptation is not well understood. With a combination of field studies, greenhouse experiments and population genetic analyses (using neutral molecular markers and quantitative phenotypic traits), the following research questions will be addressed: (A) Do plant communities that differ in the prevailing competitive and facilitative interactions select for differences in traits of plant species? (B) Which influence do different plant-plant interaction regimes have on the phenotypic expression of local differences in plant traits? (C) Which influence does the source plant community in the native range of a plant invader exert on its establishment success in different communities in the invaded range? - The study species will be Erodium cicutarium, an annual plant native to Central Europe and invasive in North America. During the research period at UC Davis, the focus will be on aims (A) and (B). It is planned to continue the project after the fellowship at TU München within the Chair for Restoration Ecology. After a period of reduced research activity due to child-rearing, the fellowship would significantly advance the scientific career of the applicant.

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: USA
• Hosts: Professor Dr. Andrew M Latimer; Professor Dr. Kevin J. Rice