Rachel Reeb-Kuebbing Lab
The Role of Climate in Shaping the Phenology of Invaded Landscapes
Nonnative plant species pose a significant threat to ecosystem restoration by displacing native plant species and reducing biodiversity through competitive interactions. Native and nonnative plant species can exhibit differences in the timing of their reproductive phenology as well as their phenological sensitivity to climate. These contrasts may influence species’ interactions and the invasion potential of nonnative species; however, a limited number of phenology studies expressly consider phenological mismatches among native and nonnative species over broad spatial or temporal scales. In a study of historic herbarium specimens, I found that nonnative species within old-field ecosystems reproduced substantially earlier in the growing season than natives, suggesting that nonnatives occupy a unique phenological niche. Both natives and nonnatives advanced their reproductive phenology between 1900 and 2014 but exhibited contrasting phenological sensitivity to climate factors. These findings suggest that nonnative old-field species occupy an earlier phenological niche relative to native species, which may facilitate their invasion into old-field communities. In an ongoing study, I am subsequently investigating the root causes of phenological timing and climate sensitivity in nonnative plants, by comparing these phenological traits between a species’ native and introduced range.
Wednesday, September 30, 2020
12PM
A219B or via Zoom