Plants Gone Wild: Invaders Optimize Leaf Nitrogen Towards Photosynthesis

Invasive plants often outcompete co-occurring natives, in part due to higher photosynthetic capacity. However, it remains unclear whether these advantages arise from evolutionary shifts after introduction or reflect preadaptation in their native range. In this talk, Dr. Griffin-Nolan presents a large-scale home-away comparison of 27 invasive species (and 17 co-occurring native species) across temperate forest and field habitats on three continents. By combining field gas exchange measurements with detailed analyses of within-leaf nitrogen allocation to photosynthesis vs. defense, the study tests whether invaders achieve higher photosynthetic rates via optimal nitrogen allocation and whether such traits already exist in the invader’s native range.

# All Things Botanically Related Presentation Series/Friends of the Ahart Herbarium California State University Chico

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