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ECPieterson_Dissertation_2018.pdf (1.37 MB)
ETD Abstract Container
Abstract Header
Nature versus Nurture: The Influence of Phylogenetic Relatedness, Origin, and Environment on Native and Introduced Woody Shrubs in the Eastern United States
Author Info
Pieterson, Elisabeth Corrie
ORCID® Identifier
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4877-9813
Permalink:
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1534521742118989
Abstract Details
Year and Degree
2018, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology.
Abstract
Intentional and unintentional species introductions have led to biological invasions with impacts on native ecosystems worldwide. This problem has motivated decades of research on the species traits and environmental conditions that lead to biological invasions. Despite these efforts, consistently predictive principles to explain invasions remain elusive. In the following chapters, I report on research of native and invasive congener species which differ in their abundance but share a similar evolutionary history. Comparing native and invasive congeners with each other, and with a more phylogenetically distant invasive species, facilitates distinguishing traits associated with invasions from those associated with phylogenetic similarity. Specifically, I examined variation in native
Lonicera candensis
, invasive
Lonicera maackii
, and invasive
Rosa multiflora
relative to the processes of germination, competitive interactions, and species establishment. I found that phylogenetic similarity was a better predictor of species responses than native or introduced status. In a growth chamber experiment with controlled temperature and photoperiod regimes, native and introduced
Lonicera
both had higher germination rates than introduced
R. multiflora
, but the
Lonicera
congeners differed in their timing of germination response. In a greenhouse experiment, invasive
L. maackii
was not strongly affected by intraspecific or interspecific competition, and its response to competition with
R. multiflora
was similar to its response in the field. In the field experiment, establishment patterns of native and introduced
Lonicera
were more similar to each other than they were to
R. multiflora
establishment. These studies indicate that introduced
L. maackii
behaves more similarly to its native congener than a less closely related introduced species. These results provide insight into the factors that contribute to the invasiveness of
L. maackii
. In particular, the relatively rapid germination response to favorable conditions allows
L. maackii
to exploit resources early in the growing season when few competitors are present. Additionally, total germination varied considerably among seed sources representing different
L. maackii
individuals, suggesting that the presence of many reproductive individuals may be necessary before this species can become invasive at a given site. The similar establishment patterns of native and introduced
Lonicera
, which indicated slow growth in early stages compared to
R. multiflora
, suggest that site conditions and the presence of other invasive species may preclude subsequent invasions. Collectively, these studies demonstrate the utility of congeners to study biological invasions, and the importance of considering environmental context, including the presence of other invasive species.
Committee
Maria Miriti, Ph.D. (Advisor)
Karen Goodell, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Kristin Mercer, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Pages
113 p.
Subject Headings
Ecology
Keywords
invasive species
;
congeners
;
Lonicera
;
Rosa multiflora
;
germination
;
competition
;
establishment
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Refworks
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RIS
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Citations
Pieterson, E. C. (2018).
Nature versus Nurture: The Influence of Phylogenetic Relatedness, Origin, and Environment on Native and Introduced Woody Shrubs in the Eastern United States
[Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1534521742118989
APA Style (7th edition)
Pieterson, Elisabeth.
Nature versus Nurture: The Influence of Phylogenetic Relatedness, Origin, and Environment on Native and Introduced Woody Shrubs in the Eastern United States .
2018. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation.
OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center
, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1534521742118989.
MLA Style (8th edition)
Pieterson, Elisabeth. "Nature versus Nurture: The Influence of Phylogenetic Relatedness, Origin, and Environment on Native and Introduced Woody Shrubs in the Eastern United States ." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1534521742118989
Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)
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Document number:
osu1534521742118989
Download Count:
281
Copyright Info
© 2018, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.