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"Feng, Yu Long"
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Integrating novel chemical weapons and evolutionarily increased competitive ability in success of a tropical invader
The evolution of increased competitive ability (EICA) hypothesis and the novel weapons hypothesis (NWH) are two non-mutually exclusive mechanisms for exotic plant invasions, but few studies have simultaneously tested these hypotheses. Here we aimed to integrate them in the context of Chromolaena odorata invasion.
We conducted two common garden experiments in order to test the EICA hypothesis, and two laboratory experiments in order to test the NWH.
In common conditions, C. odorata plants from the nonnative range were better competitors but not larger than plants from the native range, either with or without the experimental manipulation of consumers. Chromolaena odorata plants from the nonnative range were more poorly defended against aboveground herbivores but better defended against soilborne enemies. Chromolaena odorata plants from the nonnative range produced more odoratin (Eupatorium) (a unique compound of C. odorata with both allelopathic and defensive activities) and elicited stronger allelopathic effects on species native to China, the nonnative range of the invader, than on natives of Mexico, the native range of the invader.
Our results suggest that invasive plants may evolve increased competitive ability after being introduced by increasing the production of novel allelochemicals, potentially in response to naïve competitors and new enemy regimes.
Journal Article
Accelerating the integration of ChatGPT and other large‐scale AI models into biomedical research and healthcare
Large‐scale artificial intelligence (AI) models such as ChatGPT have the potential to improve performance on many benchmarks and real‐world tasks. However, it is difficult to develop and maintain these models because of their complexity and resource requirements. As a result, they are still inaccessible to healthcare industries and clinicians. This situation might soon be changed because of advancements in graphics processing unit (GPU) programming and parallel computing. More importantly, leveraging existing large‐scale AIs such as GPT‐4 and Med‐PaLM and integrating them into multiagent models (e.g., Visual‐ChatGPT) will facilitate real‐world implementations. This review aims to raise awareness of the potential applications of these models in healthcare. We provide a general overview of several advanced large‐scale AI models, including language models, vision‐language models, graph learning models, language‐conditioned multiagent models, and multimodal embodied models. We discuss their potential medical applications in addition to the challenges and future directions. Importantly, we stress the need to align these models with human values and goals, such as using reinforcement learning from human feedback, to ensure that they provide accurate and personalized insights that support human decision‐making and improve healthcare outcomes. This review provides an overview of large‐scale AI models, including language models (e.g., ChatGPT), vision‐language models, and language‐conditioned multiagent models, and discusses their potential applications in medicine, as well as their limitations and future trends. We also propose how large‐scale AI models can be integrated into various scenarios of clinical applications.
Journal Article
The evolution of increased competitive ability, innate competitive advantages, and novel biochemical weapons act in concert for a tropical invader
There are many non-mutually exclusive mechanisms for exotic invasions but few studies have concurrently tested more than one hypothesis for the same species.
Here, we tested the evolution of increased competitive ability (EICA) hypothesis in two common garden experiments in which Chromolaena odorata plants originating from native and nonnative ranges were grown in competition with natives from each range, and the novel weapons hypothesis in laboratory experiments with leachates from C. odorata.
Compared with conspecifics originating from the native range, C. odorata plants from the nonnative range were stronger competitors at high nutrient concentrations in the nonnative range in China and experienced far more herbivore damage in the native range in Mexico. In both China and Mexico, C. odorata was more suppressed by species native to Mexico than by species native to China. Species native to China were much more inhibited by leaf extracts from C. odorata than species from Mexico, and this difference in allelopathic effects may provide a possible explanation for the biogeographic differences in competitive ability.
Our results indicate that EICA, innate competitive advantages, and novel biochemical weapons may act in concert to promote invasion by C. odorata, and emphasize the importance of exploring multiple, non-mutually exclusive mechanisms for invasions.
Journal Article
Effects of the invasive plant Xanthium strumarium on diversity of native plant species: A competitive analysis approach in North and Northeast China
Xanthium strumarium is native to North America and now has become one of the invasive alien species (IAS) in China. In order to detect the effects of the invader on biodiversity and evaluate its suitable habitats and ecological distribution, we investigated the abundance, relative abundance, diversity indices, and the number of the invasive and native plants in paired invaded and non-invaded quadrats in four locations in North and Northeast China. We also analyzed the effects of monthly mean maximum and minimum temperatures, relative humidity (%), and precipitations (mm). Strong positive significant ( P < 0.01) correlation and maximum interspecific competition (41%) were found in Huailai between invaded and non-invaded quadrats. Shannon’s Diversity Index showed that non-invaded plots had significantly ( P < 0.05) more diversified species than invaded ones. The significant ( P < 0.05) Margalef’s Richness Index was found in Huailai and Zhangjiakou in non-invaded recorded heterogeneous nature of plant communities. Similarly, significant ( P < 0.05) species richness found in Huailai and Zhangjiakou in non-invaded quadrats compared to invaded ones. Maximum evenness of Setaria feberi (0.47, 0.37), Seteria viridis (0.43) found in Fushun and Zhangjiakou recorded more stable in a community compared to other localities. Evenness showed positive relationship of Shannon Entropy within different plant species. The higher dissimilarity in plant communities found in Huailai (87.06%) followed by Yangyuan (44.43%), Zhangjiakou (40.13%) and Fushun (29.02%). The significant ( P < 0.01) value of global statistics R (0.943/94.3%) showed high species diversity recorded in Huailai followed by Zhangjiakou recorded by non-metric multidimensional scaling and analysis of similarity between invaded and non-invaded plots. At the end it was concluded that the diversity indices reduced significantly ( P < 0.05) in invaded quadrats indicated that native plant species become less diverse due to X . strumarium invasion. The degrees of X . strumarium invasion affected on species richness resulted to reduce diversity indices significantly in invaded quadrats.
Journal Article
Nitrogen acquisition strategy and its effects on invasiveness of a subtropical invasive plant
IntroductionPreference and plasticity in nitrogen (N) form uptake are the main strategies with which plants absorb soil N. However, little effort has been made to explore effects of N form acquisition strategies, especially the plasticity, on invasiveness of exotic plants, although many studies have determined the effects of N levels (e.g. N deposition).MethodsTo address this problem, we studied the differences in N form acquisition strategies between the invasive plant Solidago canadensis and its co-occurring native plant Artemisia lavandulaefolia , effects of soil N environments, and the relationship between N form acquisition strategy of S. canadensis and its invasiveness using a 15N-labeling technique in three habitats at four field sites.ResultsTotal biomass, root biomass, and the uptakes of soil dissolved inorganic N (DIN) per quadrat were higher for the invasive relative to the native species in all three habitats. The invader always preferred dominant soil N forms: NH4+ in habitats with NH4+ as the dominant DIN and NO3- in habitats with NO3- as the dominant DIN, while A. lavandulaefolia consistently preferred NO3- in all habitats. Plasticity in N form uptake was higher in the invasive relative to the native species, especially in the farmland. Plant N form acquisition strategy was influenced by both DIN levels and the proportions of different N forms (NO3-/NH4+) as judged by their negative effects on the proportional contributions of NH4+ to plant N ( f NH4+) and the preference for NH4+ ( β NH4+). In addition, total biomass was positively associated with f NH4+ or β NH4+ for S. canadensis , while negatively for A. lavandulaefolia . Interestingly, the species may prefer to absorb NH4+ when soil DIN and/or NO3-/NH4+ ratio were low, and root to shoot ratio may be affected by plant nutrient status per se, rather than by soil nutrient availability.DiscussionOur results indicate that the superior N form acquisition strategy of the invader contributes to its higher N uptake, and therefore to its invasiveness in different habitats, improving our understanding of invasiveness of exotic plants in diverse habitats in terms of utilization of different N forms.
Journal Article
The mechanism of auxin driving Xanthium strumarium invasion
Biological invasion is a critical ecological challenge, exerting profound impacts on ecosystem stability, public health, and economic sustainability. To better understand the successful invasion mechanism, many hypotheses have been proposed. However, the roles of hormones in it are not clear, especially for the differential effects of hormones on invasive and native plants, and its mechanisms. In this study, we hypothesized that there was not only a difference in hormone (auxin) concentration between invasive and native plants but also a difference in the effect of auxin on invasive and native plants. The above characteristics drove the successful invasion of invasive plants. To verify this hypothesis and investigate the mechanism, auxin concentration, and physiological index determination, transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses were performed. Our results showed that the auxin concentration was higher in invasive plants Xanthium strumarium and the growth-promoting effect of auxin on the invader was stronger than its native congener X. sibiricum . Compared with X. sibiricum , the auxin signal transduction in X. strumarium was more strongly activated, and more genes were differentially expressed in response to auxin. Auxin strongly promoted the growth of X. strumarium by enhancing photosynthesis, reducing the resources investment in defense and stress resistance, and promoting cell growth and division. However, the promoting effect of auxin on X. sibiricum was mainly achieved by enhancing photosynthesis. Our results elucidated the mechanism of auxin driving X. strumarium invasion, which contributed to the systematic proposal of the hormone-driven hypothesis.
Journal Article
Evolutionary Tradeoffs for Nitrogen Allocation to Photosynthesis versus Cell Walls in an Invasive Plant
Many studies have shown that individuals from invasive populations of many different plant species grow larger than individuals from native populations and that this difference has a genetic basis. This increased vigor in invasive populations is thought to be due to life history tradeoffs, in which selection favors the loss of costly defense traits, thereby freeing resources that can be devoted to increased growth or fecundity. Despite the theoretical importance of such allocation shifts for invasions, there have been no efforts to understand apparent evolutionary shifts in defensegrowth allocation mechanistically. Real location of nitrogen (N) to photosynthesis is likely to play a crucial role in any growth increase; however, no study has been conducted to explore potential evolutionary changes in N allocation of introduced plants. Here, we show that introduced Ageratina adenophora. a noxious invasive plant throughout the subtropics, appears to have evolved increased N allocation to photosynthesis (growth) and reduced allocation to cell walls, resulting in poorer structural defenses. Our results provide a potential mechanism behind the commonly observed and genetically based increase in plant growth and vigor when they are introduced to new ranges.
Journal Article
The native stem holoparasitic Cuscuta japonica suppresses the invasive plant Ambrosia trifida and related mechanisms in different light conditions in northeast China
Increasing evidence from low-latitude ranges has demonstrated that native parasitic plants are promising biocontrol agents for some major invasive weeds. However, related mechanisms and the effect of environments on the control effect of the parasite are still unclear. In addition, few related studies have been conducted in high latitude (>40°), where the exotic plant richness is the highest in the globe, but natural enemies are relatively scarce. During field surveys, a Cuscuta species was found on the cosmopolitan invasive weed Ambrosia trifida L. in Shenyang, northeast China. Here, we first studied the impacts of the parasite on the invader at three sites with different light regimes and related mechanisms, then the haustorial connections between the parasite and the invader using anatomy and measurement of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stable isotope compositions (δ 13 C, δ 15 N), and finally identified the parasite using two molecular marks. The parasite was identified as C. japonica Choisy. This native holoparasitic vine posed serious C rather than N limitation to the invader, explaining its greatly inhibitory effects on the invader. Its negative effects were stronger on reproductive relative to vegetative growth, and at high relative to low light habitats, which indicated that the higher the vigor of the host is, the higher the impact of the parasite pose. The parasite could establish haustorial connections with phloem, xylem, and pith of the invader and thus obtain resources from both leaves and roots, which was confirmed by difference of δ 13 C and δ 15 N between the two species. The parasite had significantly higher leaf C concentrations and δ 13 C than its invasive host, being a strong C sink of the parasitic association. Our results indicate that C. japonica may be a promising biological control agent for the noxious invader in China.
Journal Article
Advantages of growth and competitive ability of the invasive plant Solanum rostratum over two co-occurring natives and the effects of nitrogen levels and forms
Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition has often been considered as a driver of exotic plant invasions. However, most related studies focused on the effects of soil N levels, and few on those of N forms, and few related studies were conducted in the fields.
In this study, we grew
, a notorious invader in arid/semi-arid and barren habitats, and two coexisting native plants
and
in mono- and mixed cultures in the fields in Baicheng, northeast China, and investigated the effects of N levels and forms on the invasiveness of
.
Compared with the two native plants,
had higher aboveground and total biomass in both mono- and mixed monocultures under all N treatments, and higher competitive ability under almost all N treatments. N addition enhanced the growth and competitive advantage of the invader under most conditions, and facilitated invasion success of
. The growth and competitive ability of the invader were higher under low nitrate relative to low ammonium treatment. The advantages of the invader were associated with its higher total leaf area and lower root to shoot ratio compared with the two native plants. The invader also had a higher light-saturated photosynthetic rate than the two native plants in mixed culture (not significant under high nitrate condition), but not in monoculture.
Our results indicated that N (especially nitrate) deposition may also promote invasion of exotic plants in arid/semi-arid and barren habitats, and the effects of N forms and interspecific competition need to be taken into consideration when studying the effects of N deposition on invasion of exotic plants.
Journal Article