Effects of fragmentation of clones compound over vegetative generations in the floating plantPistia stratiotes

Both the positive and negative effects of fragmentation on clonal performance can compound and persist over time and can be stronger when resource levels are lower. Even when fragmentation has no short-term net effect on clonal performance, it can have a longer-term effect. In some cases, fragmentation may increase total accumulation of mass by a clone. The results provide the first demonstration of how physiological integration in clonal plants can affect fitness across generations and suggest that increased disturbance may promote invasion of introduced clonal species via effects on integration, perhaps especially at lower nutrient levels.