Cross-range comparisons reveal reduced dormancy and enhanced growth in alien Iris pseudacorus L.

Cross-range comparisons reveal reduced dormancy and enhanced growth in alien Iris pseudacorus L. | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Cross-range comparisons reveal reduced dormancy and enhanced growth in alien Iris pseudacorus L. Gianmarco Minuti, Paula Gervazoni, Carolina Giese, Andrea Cabañas, and 7 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8319498/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 5 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Understanding cross-range variation in germination and early growth is essential for identifying adaptations and spread mechanisms of invasive plants under global change. Iris pseudacorus is a highly damaging and widespread invasive macrophyte, yet comparative studies between native and non-native populations remain scarce. Here, we examined germination and early growth of populations from one of the species’ native range (Belgium) and a highly invaded Neotropical region (Argentina), and assessed the role of cold stratification as a dormancy-breaking cue. Germination of non-native seeds was 1.5-fold higher than that of native seeds across treatments, with values comparable to those reported for other invaded regions. Cold stratification unexpectedly reduced germination in both ranges, although its effect was stronger for non-native seeds. Belgian seeds showed a 5-fold acceleration of germination following stratification, whereas Argentine seeds germinated rapidly under both treatments, suggesting reduced dormancy and greater germination plasticity in the introduced range. Early growth responses also differed: cold stratified Belgian seeds produced seedlings with slightly more biomass, but without significant differences, while Argentine seeds exhibited significantly higher biomass without stratification, particularly in belowground tissues. These patterns indicate potential incipient shifts in germination timing and early growth strategies following introduction. Our findings highlight the importance of intraspecific variation in early life-history traits for invasion success and underscore the need to integrate these dynamics into future management strategies. Germination Invasive Alien Aquatic Plants Yellow Flag Iris Global Change Argentina Belgium Full Text Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviewers agreed at journal 06 Apr, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 27 Mar, 2026 Editor invited by journal 14 Dec, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 10 Dec, 2025 First submitted to journal 09 Dec, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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