Transatlantic invasion routes and adaptive potential in North American populations of the invasive glossy buckthorn, Frangula alnus

Hanne de Kort (1, 2) , Joachim Mergeay (3) , Hans Jacquemyn (2) , Olivier Honnay (2)

1 SETE - Station d'écologie théorique et expérimentale
2 University of Leuven K.U.Leuven
3 INBO - Research Institute for Nature and Forest

Background and aims: Many invasive species severely threaten native biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. One of the most prominent questions in invasion genetics is how invasive populations can overcome genetic founder effects to establish stable populations after colonization of new habitats. High native genetic diversity and multiple introductions are expected to increase genetic diversity and adaptive potential in the invasive range. Our aim was to identify the European source populations of Frangula alnus (glossy buckthorn), an ornamental and highly invasive woody species that was deliberately introduced into North America at the end of the 18th century. A second aim of this study was to assess the adaptive potential as an explanation for the invasion success of this species.

Domaines: Sciences de l'environnement

Hanne de Kort, Joachim Mergeay, Hans Jacquemyn, Olivier Honnay. Transatlantic invasion routes and adaptive potential in North American populations of the invasive glossy buckthorn, Frangula alnus. Annals of Botany, 2016, 118 (6), pp.1089-1099. ⟨10.1093/aob/mcw157⟩. ⟨hal-02962894⟩