Université de Fribourg

Potential contribution of natural enemies to patterns of local adaptation in plants

Crémieux, Lisèle ; Bischoff, Armin ; Šmilauerová, Majka ; Lawson, Clare S. ; Mortimer, Simon R. ; Doležal, Jiří ; Lanta, Vojtěch ; Edwards, Andrew R. ; Brook, Alex J. ; Tscheulin, Thomas ; Macel, Mirka ; Lepš, Jan ; Müller-Schärer, Heinz ; Steinger, Thomas

In: New Phytologist, 2008, vol. 180, no. 2, p. 524 - 533

Genetic differentiation among plant populations and adaptation to local environmental conditions are well documented. However, few studies have examined the potential contribution of plant antagonists, such as insect herbivores and pathogens, to the pattern of local adaptation.Here, a reciprocal transplant experiment was set up at three sites across Europe using two common plant species, Holcus...

Université de Fribourg

Carbon addition alters vegetation composition on ex-arable fields

Eschen, René ; Mortimer, Simon R. ; Lawson, Clare S. ; Edwards, Andrew R. ; Brook, Alex J. ; Igual, José M. ; Hedlund, Katarina ; Schaffner, Urs

In: Journal of Applied Ecology, 2007, vol. 44, no. 1, p. 95–104

1. Recent changes in European agricultural policy have led to measures to reverse the loss of species-rich grasslands through the creation of new areas on ex-arable land. Ex-arable soils are often characterized by high inorganic nitrogen (N) levels, which lead to the rapid establishment of annual and fast-growing perennial species during the initial phase of habitat creation. The addition...

Université de Fribourg

Detecting local adaptation in widespread grassland species – the importance of scale and local plant community

Bischoff, Armin ; Crémieux, Lisèle ; Smilauerova, Marie ; Lawson, Clare S. ; Mortimer, Simon R. ; Dolezal, Jiri ; Lanta, Vojtech ; Edwards, Andrew R. ; Brook, Alex J. ; Macel, Mirka ; Leps, Jan ; Steinger, Thomas ; Müller-Schärer, Heinz

In: Journal of Ecology, 2006, vol. 94, p. 1130-1142

1 Adaptation of plant populations to local environments has been shown in many species but local adaptation is not always apparent and spatial scales of differentiation are not well known. In a reciprocal transplant experiment we tested whether: (i) three widespread grassland species are locally adapted at a European scale; (ii) detection of local adaptation depends on competition with the...