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Efectos de la Autocompatibilidad sobre el Rango de Distribución de Plantas Europeas Invasoras en Norte América
Author(s) -
VAN KLEUNEN MARK,
JOHNSON STEVEN D.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
conservation biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.2
H-Index - 222
eISSN - 1523-1739
pISSN - 0888-8892
DOI - 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2007.00765.x
Subject(s) - compatibility (geochemistry) , geography , range (aeronautics) , environmental science , forestry , environmental protection , geology , engineering , geochemistry , aerospace engineering
Many plant species have been introduced to new continents, but only a small subset of these have become invasive. It has been predicted that self‐compatible species, particularly those that do not need the services of pollinators, are more likely to establish and spread after long‐distance dispersal. We tested whether this hypothesis, commonly called Baker's law, applies to 361 species that have invaded the United States from Europe. Species capable of autonomous seed production occurred in significantly more states than species requiring a pollen vector. Moreover, of the species that are not capable of autonomous seed production, self‐compatible species occurred in significantly more states than those that are not self‐compatible. The positive effect of autonomous seed production on the range of invasion was larger for abiotically pollinated species than for biotically pollinated species and for monocarpic species than for polycarpic species. These results support Baker's law, and we recommend that screening protocols for predicting invasiveness of species considered for introduction should include assessment of their breeding system.