Abstract
The spread of invasive plants along elevational gradients is considered a threat to fragile mountain ecosystems, but it can also provide the opportunity to better understand some of the basic processes driving the success of invasive species. Ageratina adenophora (Asteraceae) is an invasive plant of global importance and has a broad distribution along elevational gradients in the Western Himalayas. Our study aimed at understanding the role of evolutionary processes (e.g. local adaptation and clinal differentiation) and different life history stages in shaping the distribution pattern of the invasive plant along an elevational gradient in the Western Himalaya. We carried out extensive distributional surveys, established a reciprocal transplant experiment with common gardens at three elevational levels, and measured a suite of traits related to germination, growth, reproduction and phenology. Our results showed a lack of local adaptation, and we did not find any evidence for clinal differentiation in any measured trait except a rather weak signal for plant height. We found that seed germination was the crucial life-cycle transition in determining the lower range limit while winter mortality of plants shaped the upper range limit in our study area, thus explaining the hump shaped distribution pattern. Differences in trait values between gardens for most traits indicated a high degree of phenotypic plasticity. Possible causes such as apomixis, seed dispersal among sites, and pre-adaptation might have confounded evolutionary processes to act upon. Our results suggest that the success and spread of Ageratina adenophora are dependent on different life history stages at different elevations that are controlled by abiotic conditions.
Highlights
In the process of colonizing new geographic areas, invasive plant species often spread along environmental gradients and become successful in diverse environmental conditions [1]
Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that the distributional pattern of Ageratina adenophora along the elevational gradient was best explained by a unimodal and symmetrical model (Model IV, see S5 Table for details of the models)
We did not observe a complete absence of A. adenophora from lower elevations in our study area, the species has a distinct lower range limit and is not reported from the plains [54]
Summary
In the process of colonizing new geographic areas, invasive plant species often spread along environmental gradients and become successful in diverse environmental conditions [1]. The spread of invasive plants along such environmental gradients offers the opportunity to study. Evolutionary processes and life-cycle stages during invasion of Ageratina adenophora in western Himalaya. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript
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