Project Detail

Do non-indigenous species benefit from enemy release? A field comparison with native congeners

Name:	Do non-indigenous species benefit from enemy release? A field comparison with native congeners
Researchers:	Dostál Petr (researcher)
Provider:	GA AVČR
Number:	KJB600050713
Realization from:	2007
Realization to:	2009
Summary:	One of hypotheses explaining success of some non-indigenous species (NIS) is the release from enemies in new range (Enemy Release Hypothesis, ERH. Studies comparing enemy diversity on NIS plants in home and introduced range indeed mostly found more enemies at home. Such studies however do not test the assumption that impact of enemies on NIS in new range is lower in comparison with impact on native species. Studies surveying enemy impact on both groups of plants showed equivocal results. This can be due to focus on one guild of enemies, surveyed once in time. The aim of this project is to test ERH by the comparison of impact of 6 enemy guilds on NIS and their native congeners co-occurring in the field. We want to analyze enemy impact on 15 plant pairs, each at 3 sites over 2 seasons. Enemy impact on NIS will be further analyzed at 3 sites without native species. Comparison of enemy effect on NIS in both types of sites will test the role of native congeners in process of host switching.