Genetic and Ecological Characterization of the Invasive Wetland Grasses Arundo donax and Phragmites australis in the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin

Abstract

Arundo donax and Phragmites australis are two of the most aggressive invasive grasses worldwide, both are associated with wetlands and can be very abundant, becoming dominant in these ecosystems. These two species are common in northern Mexico. Genetic and ecological characterization of A. donax in two populations from the state of Coahuila (North of Mexico) indicate that they are less clonal and more variable, as well as with a higher genetic diversity compared to populations in other parts of the world and suggest that their genotypes are adapted to different environmental conditions and may represent independent introductions. On the other hand, genealogical analyses show that two independent lineages of P. australis are present in Mexico, the Gulf Coast subspecies, P. australis ssp. berlandieri, found across Mexico, including the state of Coahuila, and the endemic native subspecies, P. australis ssp. americanus, found in a population from Cuatro Cienegas Basin (CCB) (Coahuila, Mexico). Here, we conduct a review of the genetic and ecological characteristics of both species in the Chihuahuan Desert, mainly focusing in CCB. The aim is to provide a better understanding in the evolutionary ecology of these two closely related and ecologically similar species and determine if these species of grasses represent a risk for the ecosystem and the valley’s biota.