INCITAP   20787
INSTITUTO DE CIENCIAS DE LA TIERRA Y AMBIENTALES DE LA PAMPA
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
artículos
Título:
The Neolithic Plant Invasion Hypothesis: the role of preadaptation and disturbance in grassland invasion
Autor/es:
OVE ERIKSSON; JENNIFER FIRN; ANDREW MACDOUGALL; SARA COUSINS; JOSÉ L. HIERRO; JENNIFER MCCUNE; MEELIS PARTEL
Revista:
NEW PHYTOLOGIST
Editorial:
WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC
Referencias:
Lugar: Londres; Año: 2018 vol. 220 p. 94 - 103
ISSN:
0028-646X
Resumen:
A long-standing hypothesis is that many European plants invade temperate grasslands globally because they are introduced simultaneously with pastoralism and cultivation, to which they are ?preadapted? after millennia of exposure dating to the Neolithic era (?Neolithic Plant Invasion Hypothesis? [NPIH]). These ?preadaptations? are predicted to maximize their performance relative to native species lacking this adaptive history. Here, we discuss the explanatory relevance of the NPIH, clarifying the importance of evolutionary context versus other mechanisms driving invasion. The NPIH makes intuitive sense given established connections between invasion and agricultural-based perturbation. However, tests are often incomplete given the need for performance contrasts between home and away ranges, while controlling for other mechanisms. We emphasize six NPIH-based predictions, centering on trait similarity of invaders between home versus away populations, and differing perturbation responses by invading and native plants. Although no research has integrated all six predictions,we highlight studies suggesting preadaptation influences on invasion. Given that many European grasslands are creations of human activity from the past, current invasions by these flora may represent the continuation of processes dating to the Neolithic. Ironically, European Neolithic derived grasslands are becoming rarer, reflecting changes in management and illustrating the importance of human influences on these species.