Title: The pathways of introduction of invasive Cabomba caroliniana in Canada
Abstract: Pathways of introduction can have important
effects on the extent and rate of the invasion of a species. However,
information about invasion history is often difficult to obtain. Here, I
examined the source of the aquatic plant Cabomba caroliniana (fanwort) in
Canada. The species is native to the southern United States and South America
and has spread worldwide, including to the northern United States and now
southern Canada (Kasshabog Lake, Ontario). I sampled plants from 20 populations
in the North American native and introduced range and from commercial suppliers
and used analyses of DNA content and plastid gene sequences to test the
hypothesis that Canadian plants were introduced via the aquarium trade. Contrary
to common assumption, populations in the northern United States are a more
likely source of Canadian plants than commercial sources. It is unknown whether
the plants arrived naturally or as a result of human-mediated boat traffic.
[Dissertation: The pathways of introduction of invasive Cabomba caroliniana in
Canada by McCracken, Andree, M.Sc., University of Guelph 2010, 124
pages]