TY - JOUR

T1 - Size-symmetric competition in a shade-tolerant invasive plant

AU - Pan, Xiao-Yun

AU - Weiner, Jacob

AU - Li, Bo

PY - 2013

Y1 - 2013

N2 - Plant responses to crowding have been investigated extensively in stands of light‐demanding species, butshade‐tolerant species may react differently. In the present study, we investigated the effect of density on the mortality,size inequality, and biomass allocation of Alternanthera philoxeroides, a shade‐tolerant invasive species. Stemfragments of A. philoxeroides were grown at either low or high densities (6 vs. 24 plants per pot) under three lightlevels (10%, 34%, and 100% full sun). After 8 weeks, survival was 31% lower in pots with a higher initial density.Both high density and low light levels reduced plant size substantially. Mean plant biomass ranged from 0.23 g inhigh‐density and low‐light pots to 4.41 g in low‐density and high‐light pots. There were no strong or significanteffects of density or light level on size inequality of survivors. Most of the variation in allocation and morphology inresponse to light level and crowding were due to plant size and allometric growth, with little evidence of true plasticity.There was a small but significant increase in shoot allocation, in the direction predicted by optimal allocation theory, atlow light levels. Our results show that intense competition need not be size asymmetric, and suggest that tolerance tolow light levels involves a reduction in phenotypic plasticity. Responses of the invasive A. philoxeroides to crowdingmay be an example of an invasive plant’s success in establishing dense stands of closely related individuals that areshade tolerant, cooperative, and follow a relatively fixed allometric trajectory with low plasticity.

AB - Plant responses to crowding have been investigated extensively in stands of light‐demanding species, butshade‐tolerant species may react differently. In the present study, we investigated the effect of density on the mortality,size inequality, and biomass allocation of Alternanthera philoxeroides, a shade‐tolerant invasive species. Stemfragments of A. philoxeroides were grown at either low or high densities (6 vs. 24 plants per pot) under three lightlevels (10%, 34%, and 100% full sun). After 8 weeks, survival was 31% lower in pots with a higher initial density.Both high density and low light levels reduced plant size substantially. Mean plant biomass ranged from 0.23 g inhigh‐density and low‐light pots to 4.41 g in low‐density and high‐light pots. There were no strong or significanteffects of density or light level on size inequality of survivors. Most of the variation in allocation and morphology inresponse to light level and crowding were due to plant size and allometric growth, with little evidence of true plasticity.There was a small but significant increase in shoot allocation, in the direction predicted by optimal allocation theory, atlow light levels. Our results show that intense competition need not be size asymmetric, and suggest that tolerance tolow light levels involves a reduction in phenotypic plasticity. Responses of the invasive A. philoxeroides to crowdingmay be an example of an invasive plant’s success in establishing dense stands of closely related individuals that areshade tolerant, cooperative, and follow a relatively fixed allometric trajectory with low plasticity.

U2 - 10.1111/jse.12001

DO - 10.1111/jse.12001

M3 - Journal article

VL - 51

SP - 318

EP - 325

JO - Journal of Systematics and Evolution

JF - Journal of Systematics and Evolution

SN - 1674-4918

IS - 3

ER -