Local plant adaptation and biotic interactions: implications for species introduction in ecological restoration

Abstract : Local adaptation is often used as an argument for the choice of local plant origins in species re-introduction and habitat restoration. However, experimental evidence for a better performance of local plants is not always very strong. We evaluate the "home-site advantage" argument using the results of our own studies and recent reviews on local plant adaptation. Local adaptation was tested in reciprocal transplant experiments. Common garden experiments were set up to compare local and several non-local populations.