The interplay between aridity and competition determines colonization ability, exclusion and ecological segregation in the heteroploid Brachypodium distachyon species complex

© 2017 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2017 New Phytologist Trust.

Bibliographische Detailangaben
Veröffentlicht in:The New phytologist. - 1979. - 215(2017), 1 vom: 15. Juli, Seite 85-96
1. Verfasser: Rey, Pedro J (VerfasserIn)
Weitere Verfasser: Manzaneda, Antonio J, Alcántara, Julio M
Format: Online-Aufsatz
Sprache:English
Veröffentlicht: 2017
Zugriff auf das übergeordnete Werk:The New phytologist
Schlagworte:Comparative Study Journal Article annual grasses contact zones cytotype competitive ability fitness ratio geographic segregation polyploidy stabilizing niche differences water stress
Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:© 2017 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2017 New Phytologist Trust.
A higher competitive advantage of polyploid plants compared with their parental diploids is frequently invoked to explain their establishment success, colonization of novel environments and cytotypic ecological segregation, yet there is scarce experimental evidence supporting such hypotheses. Here, we investigated whether differential competitive ability of species of the Brachypodium distachyon (Poaceae) species complex, a model system for genomic, ecological and evolutionary studies of temperate grasses, contributes to explaining their ecological segregation as well as their coexistence in diploid/allotetraploid contact zones. We conducted two field experiments in dry and humid localities to evaluate the tolerance to competition of diploids and allotetraploids in densely occupied environments, and to parameterize models of intra- and intercytotype competition as a mechanism for species exclusion/coexistence. We provide experimental evidence supporting the hypothesis that, under natural field conditions, allotetraploids have superior ecological success compared with one of their parental diploids in terms of both colonizing competitive habitats and intercytotypic competition, with the balance of intra/intercytotype competition favoring polyploid population establishment. These findings, together with previous data on ecogeographic segregation and adaptive response to water stress, suggest that the interplay between aridity and competitive outcome determines the ability to colonize competitive environments, the exclusion of diploids, especially in arid localities, and species geographic segregation
Beschreibung:Date Completed 01.05.2018
Date Revised 30.09.2020
published: Print-Electronic
Citation Status MEDLINE
ISSN:1469-8137
DOI:10.1111/nph.14574