The hidden side of plant invasions: the role of genome size

Summary The ecological role of genome size in plant biology, biogeography, and morphology has garnered increasing attention as the methods and technology associated with measuring cytological characteristics have become more reliable and accessible. However, how plant genome size influences plant invasions and at what stage in the invasion this influence occurs have been little explored. Several large‐scale analyses of published data have yielded valuable interspecific comparisons, but experimental studies that manipulate environmental factors are needed, particularly below the species level, to fully understand the role that genome size plays in plant invasion. In this review, we summarize the available knowledge, discuss the integration of genome size data into invasion research, and suggest how it can be applied to detect and manage invasive species. We also explore how global climate change could exert selective pressures on plant populations with varying genome sizes, thereby increasing the distribution range and invasiveness of some populations while decreasing others. Finally, we outline avenues for future research, including considerations of large‐scale studies of intraspecific variation in genome size of invasive populations, testing the interaction of genome size with other factors in macroecological analyses of invasions, as well as the role this trait may play in plant–enemy interactions. Contents Summary 994 I. Introduction 994 II. Genome size research meets invasion science: ecological, phenotypic and evolutionary consequences of variation in the amount of nuclear DNA in plants 997 III. Applications of genome size data in species‐level invasion research 1001 IV. Effect of climate change on genome size and invasion success 1002 V. Gaps in knowledge and avenues for future research: towards closer integration of genome size knowledge into invasion ecology 1003 VI. Conclusions 1004 Acknowledgements 1004 References 1005