Differences in herbivore damage and performance among Arctium minus (burdock) genotypes sampled from a geographic gradient: a common garden experiment
ALIENS!!! They are everywhere, but how do we stop them!? This may sound like the lines straight out of a corny B-movie, but in fact it is the reality of pretty every plant and animal community in southern Ontario. Understanding the factors that promote or limit the spread of invasive “alien” species is one of the greatest and most important challenges of our time. As one step towards a solution, Yoonsoo (Kelvin) Lee (Kotanen Lab) just published “Differences in herbivore damage and performance among Arctium minus (burdock) genotypes sampled from a geographic gradient: a common garden experiment” in Biological Invasions. The invasive plant, common burdock, is heavily damaged by a variety of insect herbivores in southern Ontario, but damage rapidly declines at higher latitudes. To determine whether this pattern is the result of genetic differences among burdock populations, Kelvin planted seeds collected along a latitudinal transect in a common garden and monitored insect damage. When growing together, northern and southern plants don't differ in levels of damage; this suggests herbivorous insects are scarce at northern sites. This may give northern populations an advantage, and assist in further spread.
Congratulations on this important contribution, Kelvin!