Is fruit plasticity greater in an alien than in a native tree? A case study of the Tree of Heaven and the Narrow-leaved Ash

Hernández-Pazmiño, NathaliaJiménez Escobar, María DoloresDelgado Sáez, Juan Antonio2026-01-132026-01-132025-12-08Hernández-Pazmiño N, Jiménez MD, Delgado JA. Is fruit plasticity greater in an alien than in a native tree? A case study of the tree of Heaven and the Narrow-leaved Ash. Plant Ecology. In Press1385-023710.1007/s11258-025-01589-9https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/130056This work was funded by Comunidad de Madrid REMEDINAL TE-CM (S2018/EMT-4338). N. Hernández-Pazmiño was supported by a Comunidad de Madrid research grant (CT2/17/CT3/17/PEJ16/AMB/AI-1233).Seed dispersal has been reported to influence many ecological aspects of plant biology such as community assembly, distribution patterns, population dynamics, genetic flow and invasion potential. Diaspore traits in wind dispersed plants such as weight, wing area, and pappus length should be optimized to balance the costs and benefits of dispersal. Nevertheless, selection could also favor adaptive intraspecific variation, linking dispersal traits to maternal environmental conditions. This study assessed intraspecific variation in diaspore traits of two cohabiting wind-dispersed tree species, the native Fraxinus angustifolia and the invasive Ailanthus altissima, across two contrasting habitats: road verges, characterized by disturbed, nutrient-poor soils, and riverbanks, with well-developed soils, higher water availability, and stronger competition. We hypothesized that such intraspecific variation may enhance the adaptive capabilities of A. altissima, contributing to its success as an invasive species. Our results showed that although both species exhibit variation in samara traits, only A. altissima presented habitat-dependent differences. When growing on road verges A. altissima produced heavier samaras than when growing in riverbanks, although dispersal potential of samaras remained unaffected.engIs fruit plasticity greater in an alien than in a native tree? A case study of the Tree of Heaven and the Narrow-leaved Ashjournal article1573-5052https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-025-01589-9https://link.springer.com/journal/11258embargoed access581.5581.524.2581.526.42630*1Fraxinus angustifoliaAilanthus altissimaAlien speciesTreeFunctional traitsIntraspecific variationEcología (Biología)Botánica (Biología)Medio ambiente natural2417.13 Ecología Vegetal2417 Biología Vegetal (Botánica)3106 Ciencia Forestal