Table 1.

Examples of experimental questions and proposed methods that would address the potential for and contributing factors to coevolution between native and invasive plant species

Experimental question	Method	Outcome
A. Do strongly interacting remnant native and invasive species have similar levels of heritable variation for competitive traits?	Competition studies that include family structure or parent/offspring regressions in experimental design	Predict if coevolution can occur; predict long-term competitive outcomes
B. Can targeted management actions decrease heritable variation in competitive traits in invasive, but not native, species?	Apply management treatments and measure changes in heritable variation pre- and post-treatment in native and exotic species	Identify management actions most likely to favor native species in coevolutionary interactions
C. Does isolating patches of invasive species increase or decrease ability of invasive species to evolve in response to remnant natives?	Observational studies of heritable variation in isolated versus connected patches of invaders; or, long-term manipulative experiments with different patch sizes	Determine if management should focus on interrupting connectivity between patches
D. Do restoration materials collected from wild populations have greater genetic variation for competitive traits than agriculturally produced seeds?	Compare levels of heritable variation for competitive ability between wild- and agriculturally produced seed sources	Determine which restoration material is more likely to be able to evolve in response to invasive species