RUI: The Importance of Shade Tolerance and Plasticity in the Persistence of Invasive Shrub Populations

9306217卢克·阿穆尔金银花，金银花，是原产于东北亚的一种灌木，但已成为中西部许多州的一种入侵杂草。它最初定居在大范围的受干扰的栖息地。在肯塔基州北部，目前存在的森林中，下层是密密麻麻的阿穆尔金银花灌木丛，几乎没有其他植物。后代也可以在亲本植物的遮荫下建立并生长。目前尚不清楚这种在深荫中形成的能力是耐荫的自然选择的结果，还是高表型可塑性(非遗传驯化)的结果。这项研究将评估生长在森林下层亲本植物树荫下的金银花的后代在耐荫性和可塑性方面与它们的亲本有何不同。%这项工作不仅对理解这种引进物种的基本生物学有影响，而且对更好地理解入侵杂草能够统治自然和农业地区的机制也有意义。

9306217 Luke Amur honeysuckle, Lonicera maackii, is a shrub native to northeastern Asia but has become an invasive weed in many midwestern states. It initially colonizes a wide range of disturbed habitats. In northern Kentucky, forests presently exist in which the understory is a dense thicket of Amur honeysuckle with few other plants present. Succeeding generations can also become established and grow in the shade of parent plants. It is not known whether this ability to become established in deep shade is the result of natural selection for shade tolerance, or of high phenotypic plasticity (non- genetic acclimation). This research will assess how succeeding generations of Amur honeysuckle growing in the shade of parent plants in forest understories differ from their parents in shade tolerance and plasticity. %%% This work will have implications not only for understanding the basic biology of this introduced species, but for better understanding of the mechanisms by which invasive weeds are able to dominate natural and agricultural areas.***