Ayub Oduor
Universidad de Granada

RESEARCH:

Dissecting ecological and evolutionary mechanisms underlying invasiveness of Brassica nigra

Brassica nigra (Brassicaceae) is a plant that is native to Mediterranean region. It has spread to other regions in North and South America where it is invasive. The invasiveness of B.nigra brings with it various potential economic and ecological risks. For example, it may contribute to a decline in plant population size and diversity hence a loss of ecosystems services provided by the extinct plants. Economically, a lot of resources may go into controlling B.nigra when it hinders efficient production of crops like small grains. Therefore, there is a need to understand mechanisms that make B.nigra invasive before any control measure can be constituted. Many previous attempts at dissecting mechanisms that drive invasiveness of plants have placed more emphasis on ecological than on evolutionary factors. In the current project, we undertake to combine ecological and evolutionary approaches to try to understand the mechanisms that make B.nigra invasive in its exotic ranges. We shall test such hypotheses as allelopathy, escape from specialized natural enemy, evolution of increased competitive ability, and genetic polymorphisms among and within native and invasive populations of B.nigra.

 

J.D. Fernández Julio 2008