Physiological ecology and functional traits of North American native and Eurasian introduced Phragmites australis lineages

Biological invasions pose serious threats to biodiversity and ecosystem services worldwide.  While the effects of invasive species are well-documented, less is known about which specific plant traits convey “invasiveness”, because most studies compare closely related but different species, which can confound results.  A review of the literature by Mozdzer et al. in AoB PLANTS compared the genetic lineages of members of the same species (Phragmites australis), specifically those native to North America and a lineage introduced from Europe, in an attempt to address this complex issue.  The authors found that the ability to change both physiologically and morphologically were the key to success of the introduced genetic lineage under current and predicted global change conditions.