Do alien and native tree species from Central Argentina differ in their water transport strategy?

ZEBALLOS S.R; GIORGIS M.A; CINGOLANI A.M; CABIDO M; WHITWORTH HULSE J.I; GURVICH D.E

AUSTRAL ECOLOGY

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2014

1442-9985

In this study we assessed the water transport strategies and the abundance of alien and native treespecies at a regional scale in Córdoba Mountains, Central Argentina. The aims of this study were: (i) to analysewhether alien and native tree species show divergent water transport strategies; and (ii) to explore whether speciesabundances of alien and natives are associated with specific trait attributes. Eight alien species and 12 native specieswere recorded in 50 complete vascular plant vegetation relevés.Water transport strategies were assessed through thefollowing functional traits: minimum leaf water potential, potential water content of wood, effective leaf area, leafarea per sapwood area and wood density. Also, resource use strategies were assessed throughout the measurementof specific leaf area.We found that alien species had a higher efficiency in water transport (i.e. higher minimum leafwater potential and lower wood density values) and faster resource acquisition and use (higher specific leaf areavalues) than native species.We did not find evidence suggesting that the relative abundance of species was associatedto water transport strategies and faster resource acquisition and use. Alien species seem to differ from natives inspecific functional attributes that are absent in the resident community and might allow aliens to use more resourcesand at a higher rate than native species. Finally, our results show the potential of a trait-based predictive frameworkfor alien species, and the possible effects on ecosystem functions.