Ecological and physiological responses to salinity stress: Comparison of native and invasive congeners.

摘要

Worldwide, freshwater marshes are under threat from sea level rise, climate change, and invasive species. This is a critical problem in Louisiana where freshwater marsh is threatened by salt-water intrusion. I utilized a combination of ecological experimentation, analytical studies, and mathematical models to address the effects of salinity stress on freshwater Iris hexagona and I. pseudacorus. The results from this work showed (i) Iris hexagona under common garden setup do not exhibit local adaptation to salinity; (ii) floral volatile compositions are different between I. hexagona and I. pseudacorus and salinity altered floral volatile abundance in I. hexagona ; (iii) ion sequestration patterns was significantly affected by salinity that varied between I. hexagona and I. pseudacorus ; and (iv) mathematical models predict that I. hexagona performs better under salinity and I. pseudacorus performs better in freshwater, with hurricane induced storm surges playing an important role in the coexistence of both iris species.