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HYBRID VIGOR FOR CLONAL GROWTH IN CARPOBROTUS (AIZOACEAE) IN COASTAL CALIFORNIA
Author(s) -
Vilà Monserrat,
D’Antonio Carla M.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
ecological applications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.864
H-Index - 213
eISSN - 1939-5582
pISSN - 1051-0761
DOI - 10.1890/1051-0761(1998)008[1196:hvfcgi]2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - biology , hybrid , herbivore , vegetative reproduction , introduced species , botany , ecology
One of the consequences of the human‐caused movement of plant species around the globe is hybridization between previously allopatric species. Introgressive hybridization between the non‐native, invasive perennial succulent Carpobrotus edulis and the putative native, non‐invasive C. chilensis is occurring throughout coastal California, leading to a high abundance of aggressive hybrid morphotypes and the loss of open space for native species establishment and growth. We test the hypothesis that hybrid vigor for vegetative growth and resistance to herbivory contributes to successful invasion by hybrid morphotypes. We compared survival and vegetative growth of transplanted cuttings of three morphotypes (parental species and hybrids) in three habitats in a factorial watering and caging experiment. Overall Carpobrotus growth was both water and herbivore limited. Hybrids displayed higher growth than either parental species. Hybrids always had higher survival in response to herbivory than C. chilensis, but survived better than C. edulis only in the bluff scrub. Growth of hybrids was higher than C. chilensis in the backdune and grassland but only higher than C. edulis in the backdune. Carpobrotus chilensis had the lowest survival to herbivory and the slowest growth. Our data suggest that greater resistance to mammalian herbivory coupled with hybrid vigor for vegetative growth can contribute to the invasive status of hybrids. High susceptibility to browsing and slow growth of C. chilensis at least partially explain its non‐aggressive nature in coastal California.