Grand Valley State University ScholarWorks@GVSU Masters Theses Graduate Research and Creative Practice 8-2019 Biological Invasions on a Large Scale: Investigating the Spread of Baby’s Breath (Gypsophila paniculata) Across North America Sarah K. Lamar Grand Valley State University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/theses Part of the Biology Commons ScholarWorks Citation Lamar, Sarah K., "Biological Invasions on a Large Scale: Investigating the Spread of Baby’s Breath (Gypsophila paniculata) Across North America" (2019). Masters Theses. 953. https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/theses/953 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Research and Creative Practice at ScholarWorks@GVSU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@GVSU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Biological Invasions on a Large Scale: Investigating the Spread of Baby’s Breath (Gypsophila paniculata) Across North America Sarah Katherine Lamar A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Master of Science Biology Department August 2019 DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to my late grandfather, Willard G. Shimmel, who filled my childhood summers with birds, snakes, toads, and countless walks in the woods and garden. He understood that nature has value simply because it is, not because of anything it can give us. Thank you for everything I can never repay. 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The contribution of Dr. Charlyn Partridge to this thesis and my professional and academic development cannot be overstated. Thank you for your patience, humor, and guidance at every turn. Additional thanks to my committee members, Dr. Tim Evans and Dr. Jennifer Moore, for their input, direction, and support. Thank you to Dr. Eric Snyder, Dr. Megan Woller-Skar, Dr. Georgette Sass, and Dr. Coeli Fitzpatrick for the guidance and mentorship they have provided me at various points throughout my education. To the faculty and staff at the Robert B. Annis Water Resources Institute – thank you for your help and laughter along the way; the institute has been a wonderful place to learn and grow over the past two years. Special thanks to my cohort and lab mates for their support, particularly Hailee Leimbach-Maus for her help within the lab and her friendship outside of it. Thank you to my mother, Joanne, for listening to me practice my presentations over the phone and telling me they were great, even when they weren’t. Further thanks to my brother, William, for his unwavering support, and to my father for his encouragement. Finally, thank you to my wonderful partner, friends, and family; life is a group effort. 4 ABSTRACT Invasive species are a serious threat to biodiversity worldwide. While the impacts of invasive species increase annually, many gaps in our understanding of how these species invade, adapt, and thrive in the novel ecosystems into which they are introduced remain. This thesis aimed to add to our knowledge of invasion science, using the perennial forb Gypsophila paniculata as a study system. Gypsophila paniculata is a shrub native to the Eurasian steppe that was introduced into North America in the late 1800’s. After introduction, G. paniculata quickly spread and now occupies diverse ecosystems across N. America. In chapter II of this thesis, I assessed relationships among G. paniculata growing in seven locations across its introduced range and current invasion status using historical herbarium records. Genetic relationships were analyzed using microsatellite analyses, which suggested the presence of two genetic clusters; when herbarium records were grouped according to these clusters, two distinct expansion phases became visible, suggesting the presence of at least two invasion events. In chapter III, I analyzed two populations of G. paniculata growing in distinct environments (Chelan, Washington and Petoskey, Michigan) for phenotypic and gene expression differences that may confer potential adaptation to unique environmental stressors. Results revealed that seeds collected from Washington germinated significantly quicker than seeds collected in Michigan (pairwise log- rank test, p < 0.0001). When grown in a common garden, seeds collected in Washington had higher levels of emergence (two-sided proportion test, p=0.00018). No significant differences in tissue allocation between populations were observed (ANOVA, p = 0.0645); however, family effects were visible (ANOVA, p=0.0301), though whether they are a function of maternal investment or evidence of genetic differences is unclear. Finally, results of RNA-seq transcriptome analyses revealed 1,149 genes differentially expressed among all tissue types 5 (root, stem, and leaf); when considered according to tissue type and growing location, overrepresentations of genes related to circadian rhythm, stress responses, and nutrient deprivation were observed among the genes that were differentially expressed. These results not only add to our understanding of the North American invasion of Gypsophila paniculata, but also increase our understanding of how invasive species may be able to cope with the novel environments they encounter in their introduced range. 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE List of Tables ..................................................................................................................................9 List of Figures................................................................................................................................11 Abbreviations.................................................................................................................................14 Chapter I: Thesis Introduction Introduction........................................................................................................................16 Purpose...............................................................................................................................19 Scope..................................................................................................................................19 Assumptions.......................................................................................................................19 Objectives...........................................................................................................................20 Significance........................................................................................................................20 Definitions..........................................................................................................................22 Chapter II: Old Meets New: Combining herbarium databases with genetic methods to evaluate the invasion status of baby’s breath (Gypsophila paniculata) in North America Title Page ..........................................................................................................................23 Abstract..............................................................................................................................24 Introduction........................................................................................................................25 Methodology......................................................................................................................28 Results................................................................................................................................32 Discussion..........................................................................................................................34 Acknowledgements............................................................................................................39 References..........................................................................................................................40 Tables.................................................................................................................................46 Figure Legends...................................................................................................................59 Figures................................................................................................................................61 7 Chapter III: Using RNA-seq analysis and common garden growth trials to investigate potential adaptation of the invasive weed Gypsophila paniculata growing in distinct ecoregions Title Page ..........................................................................................................................68 Abstract..............................................................................................................................69 Introduction........................................................................................................................70 Methodology......................................................................................................................72 Results................................................................................................................................78 Discussion..........................................................................................................................81 Acknowledgements........................................................................................................... 84 References..........................................................................................................................85