EAPSI: Does Leaf Function Evolve in the Invaded Range? A study of East Asian Forest Invaders in Japan and North America

来自东亚的入侵植物物种正在北美森林中变得越来越丰富，并经常对森林功能和生物多样性产生负面影响。东亚和北美植物获取能量的方式不同可能解释了东亚物种入侵的原因。该项目将研究在其原生(东亚)和入侵范围(北美)入侵物种中驱动能量捕获的叶片特征的差异。在日本仙台青山植物园生长的东亚枫树、樱桃和金银花树苗将作为重点个体。一项重复研究将在纽约州锡拉丘兹完成，使用的是来自北美人口的个体。该项目是与日本仙台东北大学富有成就的生态生理学家Hikosaka Kouki博士合作的。这项研究的结果将使土地管理者能够更有效地将入侵物种的负面影响降至最低，这是一项每年投入大量资源和劳动力的努力。原产于东亚的植物入侵者在北美东部的森林中日益丰富。这个项目的目标是了解耐荫、入侵的木本植物(枫树、樱桃和金银花的代表)在不同光照水平下最大限度地吸收碳的叶水平的生理策略。生理学比较将涉及入侵和非入侵物种，以及非本地物种在其本地和入侵范围内的种群水平差异。该项目还将量化能够调整叶片生理以适应光环境变化(即在林隙形成后从深荫到强光)的潜在成本。在物种和种群水平上了解生理策略的成本和收益将扩大我们对入侵者用来击败本地物种的机制的理解。该项目是与东北大学杰出的叶功能专家Hikosaka Kouki博士合作完成的。东亚和太平洋夏季学院项目下的这个奖项支持一名美国研究生的夏季研究，并由NSF和日本科学促进会共同资助。

Invasive plant species from East Asia are becoming increasingly abundant in North American forests, and often have negative impacts on forest function and biodiversity. Differences in how East Asian and North American plants acquire energy may explain the invasiveness of East Asian species. This project will examine differences in leaf traits driving energy capture in invasive species in their native (East Asia) and invasive ranges (North America). Seedlings of East Asian maple, cherry, and honeysuckle species growing in Aobayama Botanical Garden in Sendai, Japan will be used as focal individuals. A replicate study will be completed in Syracuse, NY using individuals sourced from North American populations. This project is a collaboration with Dr. Kouki Hikosaka, an accomplished ecophysiologist at Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan. The results of this study will allow land managers to more efficiently minimize negative impacts of invasive species, an endeavor in which large amounts of resources and labor are invested annually.Plant invaders native to East Asia are increasingly abundant in Eastern North American (ENA) forests. The goal of this project is to understand leaf-level physiological strategies used by shade tolerant, invasive woody species (representatives from maple, cherry, and honeysuckle species to maximize carbon assimilation at different light levels. Physiological comparisons will involve invasive and non-invasive species, as well as population-level variation in non-native species across their native and invasive ranges. This project will also quantify potential costs of being able to adjust leaf physiology to changes in light environments (i.e. from deep shade to high light after gap formation). Understanding the costs and benefits of physiological strategies at both the species and population levels will broaden our understanding of the mechanisms invaders use to outcompete native species. This project is a collaborative effort with Dr. Kouki Hikosaka at Tohoku University, a prominent leaf function expert.This award under the East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes program supports summer research by a U.S. graduate student and is jointly funded by NSF and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.