Salt tolerance underlies the cryptic invasion of North American salt marshes by an introduced haplotype of the common reed Phragmites australis (Poaceae)
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Abstract
A distinct, non-native haplotype of the common reed Phragmites australis has become invasive in Atlantic coastal Spartina marshes. We compared the salt tolerance and other growth characteristics of the invasive M haplotype with 2 native haplotypes (F and AC) in greenhouse experiments. The M haplotype retained 50% of its growth potential up to 0.4 M NaCl, whereas the F and AC haplotypes did not grow above 0.1 M NaCl. The M haplotype produced more shoots per gram of rhizome tissue and had higher relative growth rates than the native haplotypes on both freshwater and saline water treatments. The M haplotype also differed from the native haplotypes in shoot water content and the biometrics of shoots and rhizomes. The results offer an explanation for how the M haplotype is able to spread in coastal salt marshes and support the conclusion of DNA analyses that the M haplotype is a distinct ecotype of P. australis.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Salt tolerance underlies the cryptic invasion of North American salt marshes by an introduced haplotype of the common reed Phragmites australis (Poaceae) |
| Series title | Marine Ecology Progress Series |
| DOI | 10.3354/meps298001 |
| Volume | 298 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Year Published | 2005 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Inter-Research |
| Contributing office(s) | Patuxent Wildlife Research Center |
| Description | 1-8 |
| First page | 1 |
| Last page | 8 |