INIBIOMA   20415
INSTITUTO DE INVESTIGACIONES EN BIODIVERSIDAD Y MEDIOAMBIENTE
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
artículos
Título:
Differences in phenology and fruit characteristic between invasive and native woody species favor exotic species invasiveness
Autor/es:
LEDIUK, K.; MARÍA DAMASCOS; PUNTIERI, JAVIER GUIDO; MAYA SVRIZ
Revista:
PLANT ECOLOGY
Editorial:
SPRINGER
Referencias:
Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2014
ISSN:
1385-0237
Resumen:
This study evaluates the idea that differences
in reproductive phenology and traits between
coexisting exotic and native species may promote
exotic invasiveness. Reproductive phenology, proportions
of flowers setting unripe fruits and ripe fruits
(fruit set), abundance and morphology of fruits, and
seed viability were compared between two invasive
(Crataegus monogyna and Sorbus aucuparia) and six
native woody fleshy-fruited species at three sites in
temperate forests of northwestern Patagonia, Argentina.
Flowering and the onset of fruit ripening occurred
later in the exotic species than in most of the native
species. The exotic species differed between them in
some aspects of the reproductive process: C. monogyna
had a higher fruit set, whereas S. aucuparia
produced more flowers which offset its low values of fruit set. In both the exotic species and one simultaneously
fruiting native species (Schinus patagonicus),
high numbers of ripe fruits with a high proportion of
viable seeds remained on the plants at a time when
fruits of other native species were either scarce or
absent (autumn?winter period). Compared to the fruits
of S. patagonicus, those of both the exotic species are
larger and fleshier. Therefore, the fruits of both the
exotic species offer the dispersers, especially birds
which were the most important frugivores in these
studied temperate forests, a resource that would not be
provided by the native plants. The success of these
exotic species in Patagonian forests appears to be
attributable in part to differences in their reproductive
attributes such as fruit phenology and fruit traits such
as size and fleshiness.