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Lines separating native and invasive plant species can be thin due to close relatedness, obscured by cryptic invasions, or breached by hybridization. Past work suggests these phenomena are especially prevalent in aquatic systems. This could arise from strong filters imposed by aquatic environments magnifying the importance of ‘preadaptation’—non‐native species succeeding where closely related native species occur due to shared traits. If so, there should be stronger signals of preadaptation in aquatic than terrestrial plant invasions, with implications for management. I tested for stronger influence of preadaptation in aquatic than terrestrial invasions by comparing relatedness of invasive and native species in aquatic versus terrestrial flora of the Midwestern USA using herbarium records and taxonomic and phylogenetic analyses. I predicted that aquatic species would constitute an evolutionarily distinct subset of plants; aquatic invaders would be more closely related, taxonomically and phylogenetically, to native aquatic plants than terrestrial invaders are to their native counterparts; and aquatic invaders from the Midwest's primary donor region (the Palearctic) would be more closely related to Midwestern species than are Palearctic aquatic plants that are not invasive in the Midwest. Findings supported the evolutionary legacy of adaptation to aquatic environments being reflected in thin lines separating invasive and native aquatic plants. Aquatic species constituted an evolutionarily distinct subset of plants, and invasive aquatic plants were more closely related to native aquatic plants (taxonomically and phylogenetically) than terrestrial invaders were to terrestrial native species. Additionally, aquatic plants of the Palearctic that are invasive in the Midwest were more closely related to Midwestern natives (phylogenetically, but not taxonomically) than were their non‐invasive counterparts, reinforcing the role of preadaptation. Synthesis and applications: Thin lines separating native from invasive aquatic plants pose challenges for response efforts. For resource managers, the prevalence of cryptic invasions requires dedicated, robust approaches to surveillance. For outreach, finer distinctions between native and invasive necessitate nuanced approaches to communication and education. And when control is needed, it should be implemented cautiously to minimize nontarget impacts to close native relatives, but thoroughly enough to prevent native relatives being displaced by competition and/or introgression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Extension educators are increasingly using flipped classrooms, wherein online content delivery precedes in-person learning. We have applied this approach to two Extension programs in which citizen scientists are trained in early detection of invasive species. Our goal in using the tool of flipped classrooms is to accommodate large amounts of content while focusing classroom time on skills development. In 2017, we assessed efficacy of the flipped classroom through knowledge tests and surveys completed by 174 participants and 106 participants, respectively. Results demonstrated large knowledge gains and high participant satisfaction. We encourage Extension professionals to consider whether use of the flipped classroom format could advance achievement of their programs' learning objectives.

Phylogenetic and functional diversity are relevant for restoration planning, as they influence important ecosystem functions and services. However, it is unknown whether initial phylogenetic and functional diversity of restorations as planned and planted are maintained over time, that is, the extent to which diversity of the restoration planting is reflected in the diversity of the resulting plant community. Furthermore, in the tallgrass prairie, many restorations are planted from seed. Among‐species variation in emergence and establishment affects the transition from seed mixes to realized plant communities in these restorations. We evaluated emergence and early establishment of experimental communities in a biodiversity plot experiment designed to test how phylogenetic and functional diversity influence restoration outcomes. We planted the same experimental communities starting from both seeds and plugs to assess differences in establishment. Our results suggest that phylogenetically and functionally diverse species mixes tend to produce phylogenetically and functionally diverse restored plant communities. After 3 years, experimental communities generally maintained their phylogenetic and functional diversity from seed and plug mixes to established vegetation, despite declines in species richness. While plots planted from seeds had on average 1.3 fewer species than plots planted from plugs, phylogenetic and functional diversity did not significantly differ between the two. Furthermore, most species exhibited no significant differences in percent cover when planted from seeds or plugs. Seeds are generally more cost‐effective for restoration than plugs, and our results indicate these two establishment methods achieved similar biodiversity outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]