Comparison of morphological traits between alligator weed and two congeners under different water and nutrient conditions

doi:10.3724/SP.J.2010.615

Abstract

Abstract:

Alligator weed (Alternanthera philoxeroides), a worldwide noxious weed, has caused enormous ecological and economic losses in China. To better understand the species’ successful invasion, and to predict relationships between expansion of its population and environmental conditions, we compared morphological traits of alligator weed with two closely related species, i.e. the geographically restricted alien A. pungens and the native A. sessilis, under different water and nutrient conditions in a common garden experiment. Compared to A. pungens and A. sessilis, alligator weed produced more biomass with high availability of water and nutrients, but did not in conditions of low water availability. These results suggest that the invasiveness of alligator weed may be influenced by environmental conditions. In addition, alligator weed had marginally greater specific leaf area (SLA) and phenotypic plasticity than its congeners. Phenotypic plasticity and SLA may thus have predictive value for invasiveness of alien species under multiple environmental conditions.

Key words: Alternanthera philoxeroides, congenetic species, biomass, SLA, phenotypic plasticity, invasion prediction

Kun Wang, Ji Yang, Jiakuan Chen. Comparison of morphological traits between alligator weed and two congeners under different water and nutrient conditions[J]. Biodiv Sci, 2010, 18(6): 615-621.

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URL: https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/10.3724/SP.J.2010.615

https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/Y2010/V18/I6/615

Figures/Tables 5

References 31

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性状 Traits	数据转换 Data trans	物种 Species		水分 Water availability		营养 Nutrient level		物种×水分 Species×water		物种×营养 Species×nutrient		水分×营养 Water×nutrient
性状 Traits	数据转换 Data trans	F	P	F	P	F	P	F	P	F	P	F	P
生物量 Biomass	--	21.089	0.000	658.408	0.000	3451.420	0.000	179.623	0.000	103.106	0.000	67.504	0.000
比叶面积 SLA	--	87.535	0.000	3.208	0.000	13.020	0.000	2.971	0.000	0.151	0.000	5.727	0.018
叶面积 Leaf area	--	20.714	0.000	382.271	0.000	1236.911	0.000	13.553	0.000	15.485	0.000	0.483	0.489
叶质量 Leaf mass	$\sqrt{x}$	87.931	0.000	180.221	0.000	503.897	0.000	0.881	0.418	6.235	0.000	0.389	0.534
节间长 Internode length	log(x)	404.691	0.000	205.384	0.000	219.201	0.000	44.146	0.000	14.689	0.000	3.376	0.069
茎直径 Stem diameter	Log(x)	508.679	0.000	237.240	0.000	260.662	0.000	51.080	0.000	19.651	0.003	3.685	0.058

性状 Traits	数据转换 Data trans	物种 Species		水分 Water availability		营养 Nutrient level		物种×水分 Species×water		物种×营养 Species×nutrient		水分×营养 Water×nutrient
性状 Traits	数据转换 Data trans	F	P	F	P	F	P	F	P	F	P	F	P
生物量 Biomass	--	21.089	0.000	658.408	0.000	3451.420	0.000	179.623	0.000	103.106	0.000	67.504	0.000
比叶面积 SLA	--	87.535	0.000	3.208	0.000	13.020	0.000	2.971	0.000	0.151	0.000	5.727	0.018
叶面积 Leaf area	--	20.714	0.000	382.271	0.000	1236.911	0.000	13.553	0.000	15.485	0.000	0.483	0.489
叶质量 Leaf mass	$\sqrt{x}$	87.931	0.000	180.221	0.000	503.897	0.000	0.881	0.418	6.235	0.000	0.389	0.534
节间长 Internode length	log(x)	404.691	0.000	205.384	0.000	219.201	0.000	44.146	0.000	14.689	0.000	3.376	0.069
茎直径 Stem diameter	Log(x)	508.679	0.000	237.240	0.000	260.662	0.000	51.080	0.000	19.651	0.003	3.685	0.058

	喜旱莲子草 A. philoxeroides	刺花莲子草 A. pungens	莲子草 A. sessilis
叶面积 Leaf area	0.621	0.519	0.468
叶质量 Leaf mass	0.592	0.462	0.454
节间长 Internode length	0.639	0.357	0.293
茎直径 Stem diameter	0.597	0.573	0.389

	喜旱莲子草 A. philoxeroides	刺花莲子草 A. pungens	莲子草 A. sessilis
叶面积 Leaf area	0.621	0.519	0.468
叶质量 Leaf mass	0.592	0.462	0.454
节间长 Internode length	0.639	0.357	0.293
茎直径 Stem diameter	0.597	0.573	0.389