Phragmites genomics

Invasion of native ecosystems by non-native species is a worldwide problem that damages both ecosystems and economies. Invasive plants can negatively affect agricultural production and displace native species. Given the biological impacts of invasive species, there is an urgent need for studies across diverse systems to evaluate the long-term consequences of invasive species and to better understand the underlying biological mechanisms of invasion. The genetic and molecular bases for evolution of invasive lineages have been of longstanding interest, but there is still limited information addressing this problem. Phragmites australis (also known as Common Reed from grass family Poaceae) is globally distributed and provides multiple eco- system services in its native range. A native subspecies (Phragmites australis ssp. americanus) has been present in North American wetlands for thousands of years. However, the non-native, invasive subspecies (Phragmites australis ssp. australis) was introduced to North America from Europe prior to 1900 and has been aggressively disrupting and displacing native plant communities and altering wildlife habitat and ecosystem properties. The invasive subspecies occurs throughout the contiguous United States and the entire Laurentian Great Lakes basin and is one of the most problematic invasive plant species in wetland habitats in eastern North America, with millions of dollars per year invested in control efforts. It cooccurs with the native subspecies in many areas but exhibits more robust growth with larger inflorescences, leaves, and height. A variety of mechanisms promoting Phragmites australis invasions have been proposed, including efficient resource utilization and lower construction costs, genetic diversity and mode of reproduction, and escape from natural enemies relative to native Phragmites genotypes, but effective control strategies are lacking. Our goal was to investigate the invasiveness using comparative genomic tools to identify the candidate gene/s that can be used for better management practices using molecular tools.