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Abstract Detail



Recent Topics Posters

Larson, Katherine C. [1].

Clonal mobility of congeneric Lonicera vines: a long-term field experiment.

Lianas are increasing in abundance and biomass in forests around the globe. Although lianas are capable of colonization of new sites through seedling dispersal and long distance clonal dispersal, vegetatively produced ramets are typical more abundant than those produced from seed. This study compares the capacity for clonal colonization of experimental support trellises by two related liana species differing in architectural plasticity and circumnutation behavior, two traits expected to impact clonal mobility. Japanese honeysuckle, a common invasive species of southeastern natural areas, was compared to its native congener, coral honeysuckle in a common garden that quantified mobility of individual clones. While both Lonicera species are widely available for sale in garden centers, only Japanese honeysuckle has become invasive. Once established, both species send out long searcher shoots that can twine up supports and colonize space horizontally. The circumnutation pattern controls the movement of the searcher shoots, and their architectural plasticity controls the deployment of leaves along the shoot. We contrasted colonization of distant trellises, exploitation of local trellises, and plasticity of internode length and lateral branch production in response to the presence or absence of support.  Japanese honeysuckle was more morphologically plastic for both internode length and lateral shoot production than coral honeysuckle, producing more lateral shoots when on the trellis, and longer internodes when colonizing horizontally. Japanese honeysuckle colonized local supports more rapidly and more completely than coral honeysuckle, largely due to the greater production of lateral shoots.  Individual plants of both species moved laterally to find and climb distant supports.  After eight years of growth, Japanese honeysuckle colonized 68 of the 78 (87%) distant supports available and coral honeysuckle colonized only 43 (55%). Coral honeysuckle’s colonization of distant supports was dependent on a shoot failing to climb a support, falling, and then rooting, and thus there was a trade-off between local exploitation of supports and colonization of distant supports. In contrast, Japanese honeysuckle did not suffer a trade-off. Its capacity to colonize distant supports was not limited by exploitation of a local support because it produces shoots with two distinct circumnutation patterns, one for climbing and one for moving across the ground surface. In disturbed early successional habitats with an increasing number of support hosts over time, these results predict that Japanese honeysuckle will outcompete coral honeysuckle for supports both in terms of exploitation of shared supports and exploration and colonization of new supports.

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1 - University of Central Arkansas, Biology, 180 Lewis Science Center, Conway, AR, 72035, USA

Keywords:
clonal mobility
lianas
Lonicera
circumnutation.

Presentation Type: Recent Topics Poster
Session: P
Location: Grand Salon A - D/Riverside Hilton
Date: Monday, July 29th, 2013
Time: 5:30 PM
Number: PRT037
Abstract ID:1333
Candidate for Awards:None


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