Global distribution patterns and niche modelling of the invasive Kalanchoe × houghtonii (Crassulaceae)

• Published in: Scientific Reports
• Main Authors: Herrando-Moraira, Sonia, Vitales, Daniel, Nualart, Neus, Gómez-Bellver, Carlos, Ibáñez, Neus, Massó, Sergi, Cachón-Ferrero, Pilar, González-Gutiérrez, Pedro A., Guillot, Daniel, Herrera, Ileana, Shaw, Daniel, Stinca, Adriano, Wang, Zhiqiang, López-Pujol, Jordi
• Other Authors: Fundación General CSIC, Generalitat de Catalunya
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Springer Science and Business Media LLC 2020
• Subjects: Multidisciplinary; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-60079-2; http://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-60079-2.pdf; http://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-60079-2

Abstract Invasive alien species are currently considered one of the main threats to global biodiversity. One of the most rapidly expanding invasive plants in recent times is Kalanchoe × houghtonii (Crassulaceae), an artificial hybrid created in the 1930s in the United States by experimental crossings between K . daigremontiana and K . tubiflora , two species endemic to Madagascar. Thanks to its large colonizing capacity (mainly derived from the production of asexual plantlets), K . × houghtonii soon escaped from cultivation and quickly spread in many parts of the world. However, its actual range is not well known due to the lack of a formal description until recent times (2006) and its strong morphological resemblance with one of its parentals ( K . daigremontiana ). The present study was aimed, in the first instance, to delimit the present distribution area of K . × houghtonii at the global scale by gathering and validating all its occurrences and to track its colonization history. Currently, K . × houghtonii can be found on all continents except Antarctica, although it did not reach a global distribution until the 2000s. Its potential distribution, estimated with MaxEnt modelling software, is mainly centered in subtropical regions, from 20° to 40° of both northern and southern latitudes, mostly in areas with a high anthropogenic activity. Unexpectedly, concomitant to a poleward migration, future niche models suggest a considerable reduction of its range by up to one-third compared to the present, which might be related with the Crassulaceaean Acid Metabolism (CAM) of K . × houghtonii . Further research may shed light as to whether a decrease in potential habitats constitutes a general pattern for Crassulaceae and CAM plants.