Abstract
Light and temperature are critical factors for the growth of all plants, including invasive macrophytes. The high invasiveness of these species is often linked to their ability to outcompete native plants through greater shade tolerance and rapid growth at elevated temperatures. In our experimental study, we tested two hypotheses: (1) the high competitiveness of invasive alien macrophytes stems from their exceptional shade tolerance, and (2) although thermophilic invasive aquatic plants thrive in warm water, they retain the capacity to survive in colder conditions. To test these hypotheses, three invasive aquatic plant species: Elodea nuttallii , Cabomba caroliniana , and Vallisneria spiralis - were cultivated in two separate experiments: one testing low light conditions under constant temperature, and the other testing low temperature conditions under constant light. Each cultivation lasted seven weeks. Following this period, key morphological traits, including shoot length, number of offshoots, dry mass, and chlorophyll a content, were measured for each species. Our results show that all tested species were able to temporarily survive at 7 °C, although their growth was generally inhibited. E. nuttallii was the exception, exhibiting growth even at this low temperature. Moreover, V. spiralis and C. caroliniana demonstrated broad tolerance to varying light levels, while E. nuttallii thrived under low light conditions but exhibited reduced growth at higher intensities. Additionally, low temperature and light levels inhibited daughter ramet production in V. spiralis , while extremely low light induced partial necrosis in the lower parts of E. nuttallii shoots, possibly as a strategy to escape unfavorable light conditions. Overall, our research underscores the critical role of temperature in the development of invasive aquatic plants and confirms their high shade tolerance, a key factor in their competitiveness.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
All three species survived temporarily at 7 °C but growth was generally inhibited.
Verbatim
e0“all tested species were able to temporarily survive at 7 °C, although their growth was generally inhibited”
Claim · model-written summary
Elodea nuttallii grew even at 7 °C.
- Taxon
- E. nuttallii
Elodea nuttalliie0 - Treatment
- this low temperaturee0
- Outcome
- growthe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“E. nuttallii was the exception, exhibiting growth even at this low temperature”
t0“Elodea nuttallii”
Claim · model-written summary
Vallisneria spiralis tolerated varying light levels.
- Taxon
- V. spiralis
Vallisneria spiralise0 - Outcome
- broad tolerance to varying light levelse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“V. spiralis and C. caroliniana demonstrated broad tolerance to varying light levels”
Claim · model-written summary
Cabomba caroliniana tolerated varying light levels.
- Taxon
- C. caroliniana
Cabomba carolinianae0 - Outcome
- broad tolerance to varying light levelse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“V. spiralis and C. caroliniana demonstrated broad tolerance to varying light levels”
Claim · model-written summary
Elodea nuttallii thrived under low light.
- Taxon
- E. nuttalliiElodea nuttalliie0
- Treatment
- low light conditionse0
- Outcome
- thrivede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“E. nuttallii thrived under low light conditions”
Claim · model-written summary
Elodea nuttallii growth was reduced at higher light intensities.
- Taxon
- E. nuttalliiElodea nuttalliie0
- Treatment
- higher intensitiese0
- Outcome
- growthe0
- Direction
- reducede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“E. nuttallii thrived under low light conditions but exhibited reduced growth at higher intensities”
Claim · model-written summary
Low temperature and light inhibited daughter ramet production in Vallisneria spiralis.
- Taxon
- V. spiralisVallisneria spiralise0
- Treatment
- low temperature and light levelse0
- Outcome
- daughter ramet productione0
- Direction
- inhibitede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“low temperature and light levels inhibited daughter ramet production in V. spiralis”
Claim · model-written summary
Extremely low light caused partial necrosis in lower Elodea nuttallii shoots.
- Taxon
- E. nuttalliiElodea nuttalliie0
- Organ / stage
- shootse0
- Treatment
- extremely low lighte0
- Outcome
- partial necrosise0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“extremely low light induced partial necrosis in the lower parts of E. nuttallii shoots”