title: How do alien plants fit in the space-phylogeny matrix?
abstract: Recent advances in the field of plant community phylogenetics and invasion phylogenetics are mostly based on plot-level data, which do not take into consideration the spatial arrangement of individual plants within the plot. Here we use within-plot plant coordinates to investigate the link between the physical distance separating plants, and their phylogenetic relatedness. We look at two vegetation types (forest and grassland, similar in species richness and in the proportion of alien invasive plants) in subtropical coastal KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The relationship between phylogenetic distance and physical distance is weak in grassland (characterised by higher plant densities and low phylogenetic diversity), and varies substantially in forest vegetation (variable plant density, higher phylogenetic diversity). There is no significant relationship between the proportion of alien plants in the plots and the strength of the physical-phylogenetic distance relationship, suggesting that alien plants are well integrated in the local spatial-phylogenetic landscape.
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Geography, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Private Bag X54001, Durban, South Africa.
authors.forename: Şerban
authors.initials: Ş
authors.lastname: Procheş
authors.affiliation: Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3DS, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Félix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Forest
authors.affiliation: Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3DS, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jose
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Geography, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Private Bag X54001, Durban, South Africa.
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Dominicis
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Private Bag X54001, Durban, South Africa.
authors.forename: Syd
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ramdhani
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Geography, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Private Bag X54001, Durban, South Africa.
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wiggill
mesh_terms: D044822:Biodiversity; D058865:Introduced Species; D010802:Phylogeny; D013019:South Africa; D013045:Species Specificity