Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-g7gxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T23:46:38.439Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Photosynthetic Performance of Invasive Vincetoxicum Species (Apocynaceae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Kristine M. Averill*
Affiliation:
Soil and Crop Sciences Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
Antonio DiTommaso
Affiliation:
Soil and Crop Sciences Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
Thomas H. Whitlow
Affiliation:
Horticulture Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
Lindsey R. Milbrath
Affiliation:
USDA-ARS Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture and Health, Ithaca, NY 14853
*
Corresponding author's E-mail: kma25@cornell.edu

Abstract

Knowledge of photosynthetic capacity is crucial for fully understanding a species’ invasive potential and for the development of appropriate control strategies. Although growth and reproductive data are available for the invasive swallowwort vines Vincetoxicum nigrum and V. rossicum, photosynthetic data are wanting. These herbaceous, perennial congeners were introduced from separate European ranges during the late 19th century and became invasive during the following century in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada. Vincetoxicum nigrum has been observed growing mainly in high light environments, whereas V. rossicum occurs across a wide range of light environments, suggesting niche divergence and that different management strategies might be needed for the two species. In this work, we investigated whether the differing habitat associations of these species is reflected in their photosynthetic capacities and leaf morphology. Photosynthetic parameters and specific leaf mass were determined across a range of light environments represented by four field habitats (common garden, forest edge, old field, and forest understory) and two greenhouse environments (high and low light). In the high-light common garden habitat, V. nigrum achieved 37% higher maximum photosynthetic rates than V. rossicum, but photosynthetic performance of the two species was the same in the forest edge habitat. Additionally, species’ performance was virtually identical in high light, low light, and transitions between high and low light regimes in the greenhouse. Specific leaf mass of V. nigrum was 17% higher in the common garden and 19% higher in the greenhouse compared with V. rossicum. Both invasive Vincetoxicum spp. appear capable of growing within a broad range of light environments and their management should be similar regardless of light environment. Other explanations are required to explain the scarcity of V. nigrum in low light natural areas.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © 2016 Weed Science Society of America 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Literature Cited

Antúnez, I, Retamosa, EC, Villar, R (2001) Relative growth rate in phylogenetically related deciduous and evergreen woody species. Oecologia 128:172180 Google Scholar
Averill, KM, DiTommaso, A, Mohler, CL, Milbrath, LR (2011) Survival, growth, and fecundity of the invasive swallowworts ( Vincetoxicum rossicum and V. nigrum) in New York State. Invasive Plant Sci Manage 4:198206 Google Scholar
Azcón-Bieto, J (1983) Inhibition of photosynthesis by carbohydrates in wheat leaves. Plant Physiol 73:681686 Google Scholar
Baruch, Z, Goldstein, G (1999) Leaf construction cost, nutrient concentration, and net CO2 assimilation of native and invasive species in Hawaii. Oecologia 121:183192 Google Scholar
Bazzaz, FA (1979) The physiological ecology of plant succession. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 10:351371 Google Scholar
Bazzaz, FA (1986) Life history of colonizing plants: some demographic, genetic, and physiological features. Pages 96110 in Mooney, HA, Drake, JA, eds. Ecology of Biological Invasions of North America and Hawaii. New York: Springer-Verlag Google Scholar
Bazzaz, FA, Carlson, RW (1982) Photosynthetic acclimation to variability in the light environment of early and late successional plants. Oecologia 54:313316 Google Scholar
DiTommaso, A, Lawlor, F, Darbyshire, S (2005) The biology of invasive alien plants in Canada. 2. Cynanchum rossicum (Kleopow) Borhidi [= Vincetoxicum rossicum (Kleopow) Barbar.] and Cynanchum louiseae (L.) Kartesz & Gandhi [= Vincetoxicum nigrum (L.) Moench]. Can J Plant Sci 85:243263 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Douglass, CH (2008) The Role of Allelopathy, Morphology, and Genetic Diversity in the Invasion of Swallow-Wort Species in New York State. MS dissertation. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University. 134 pGoogle Scholar
Durand, LZ, Goldstein, G (2001) Photosynthesis, photoinhibition, and nitrogen use efficiency in native and invasive tree ferns in Hawaii. Oecologia 126:345354 Google Scholar
Greenberg, C, Smith, L, Levey, D (2001) Fruit fate, seed germination and growth of an invasive vine—an experimental test of “sit and wait” strategy. Biol Invasions 3:363372 Google Scholar
Hanson, HC (1917) Leaf-structure as related to environment. Am J Bot 4:533560 Google Scholar
Mack, RN (1996) Predicting the identity and fate of plant invaders: emergent and emerging approaches. Biol Conserv 78:107121 Google Scholar
Mack, RN, Simberloff, D, Lonsdale, WM, Evans, H, Clout, M, Bazzaz, FA (2000) Biotic invasions: causes, epidemiology, global consequences, and control. Ecol Appl 10:689710 Google Scholar
McAllister, CA, Knapp, AK, Maragni, LA (1998) Is leaf-level photosynthesis related to plant success in a highly productive grassland? Oecologia 117:4046 Google Scholar
McDowell, SCL (2002) Photosynthetic characteristics of invasive and noninvasive species of Rubus (Rosaceae). Am J Bot 89:14311438 Google Scholar
McKague, C, Cappuccino, N (2005) Response of pale swallow-wort, Vincetoxicum rossicum, following aboveground tissue loss: implications for the timing of mechanical control. Can Field-Nat 119:525531 Google Scholar
Milbrath, L (2008) Growth and reproduction of invasive Vincetoxicum rossicum and V. nigrum under artificial defoliation and different light environments. Botany 86:12791290 Google Scholar
Oguchi, R, Hikosaka, K, Hirose, T (2003) Does the photosynthetic light-acclimation need change in leaf anatomy? Plant Cell Environ 26:505512 Google Scholar
Pattison, RR, Goldstein, G, Ares, A (1998) Growth, biomass allocation and photosynthesis of invasive and native Hawaiian rainforest species. Oecologia 117:449459 Google Scholar
Payton, ME, Greenstone, MH, Schenker, N (2003) Overlapping confidence intervals or standard error intervals: what do they mean in terms of statistical significance? J Insect Sci 3:34 Google Scholar
Pearcy, RW, Tumosa, N, Williams, K (1981) Relationships between growth, photosynthesis and competitive interactions for a C3 and C4 plant. Oecologia 48:371376 Google Scholar
Peek, M, Russek-Cohen, E, Wait, A, Forseth, I (2002) Physiological response curve analysis using nonlinear mixed models. Oecologia 132:175180 Google Scholar
Penuelas, J, Sardans, J, Llusià, J, Owen, SM, Carnicer, J, Giambelluca, TW, Rezende, EL, Waite, M, Niinemets, Ü (2010) Faster returns on “leaf economics” and different biogeochemical niche in invasive compared with native plant species. Glob Change Biol 16:21712185 Google Scholar
Pinheiro, J, Bates, D, DebRoy, S, Sarkar, D (2009) R Core Team nlme: Linear and Nonlinear Mixed Effects Models R package version 3.1–128. Vienna, Austria: R Foundation for Statistical Computing. 336 pGoogle Scholar
Potvin, C, Lechowicz, MJ, Tardif, S (1990) The statistical analysis of ecophysiological response curves obtained from experiments involving repeated measures. Ecology 71:13891400 Google Scholar
R Development Core Team (2006) R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing. Vienna, Austria: R Foundation for Statistical Computing Google Scholar
Reich, PB, Walters, MB, Ellsworth, DS (1997) From tropics to tundra: global convergence in plant functioning. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 94:1373013734 Google Scholar
Rejmánek, M (1996) A theory of seed plant invasiveness: the first sketch. Biol Conserv 78:171181 Google Scholar
Sheeley, SE (1992) The Distribution and Life History Characteristics of Vincetoxicum rossicum (Asclepiadaceae): An Exotic Plant in North America. MS dissertation. Syracuse, NY: State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. 126 pGoogle Scholar
Smith, L, DiTommaso, A, Lehmann, J, Greipsson, S (2006) Growth and reproductive potential of the invasive exotic vine Vincetoxicum rossicum in northern New York State. Can J Bot 84:17711780 Google Scholar
Sparling, JH (1967) Assimilation rates of some woodland herbs in Ontario. Bot Gaz 128:160168 Google Scholar
Taiz, L, Zeiger, E (2002) Plant Physiology. 3rd edn. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates. 690 pGoogle Scholar
Taylor, RJ, Pearcy, RW (1976) Seasonal patterns of the CO2 exchange characteristics of understory plants from a deciduous forest. Can J Bot 54:10941103 Google Scholar
Wang, D, Heckathorn, SA, Mainali, K, Hamilton, EW (2008) Effects of N on plant response to heat-wave: a field study with prairie vegetation. J Integr Plant Biol 50:14161425 Google Scholar
Williamson, M, Fitter, A (1996) The varying success of invaders. Ecology 77:16611666 Google Scholar
Zhang, Z, Jiang, C, Zhang, J, Zhang, H, Shi, L (2009) Ecophysiological evaluation of the potential invasiveness of Rhus typhina in its non-native habitats. Tree Physiol 29:13071316 Google Scholar
Zuur, AF, Ieno, EN, Walker, NJ, Saveliev, AA, Smith, GM (2009) Mixed Effects Models and Extensions in Ecology with R. New York: Springer. 580 pCrossRefGoogle Scholar