To understand the biological effects of climate change, it is essential to take into account species' evolutionary responses to their changing environments. Ongoing climate change is resulting in species shifting their geographical distribution ranges poleward. We tested whether a successful range expanding plant has rapidly adapted to the regional conditions in its novel range, and whether adaptation could be driven by herbivores. Furthermore, we investigated if enemy release occurred in the newly colonized areas and whether plant origins differed in herbivore resistance. Plants were cloned and reciprocally transplanted between three experimental sites across the range. Effects of herbivores on plant performance were tested by individually caging plants with either open or closed cages. There was no indication of (regional) adaptation to abiotic conditions. Plants originating from the novel range were always larger than plants from the core distribution at all experimental sites, with or without herbivory. Herbivore damage was highest and not lowest at the experimental sites in the novel range, suggesting no release from enemy impact. Genotypes from the core were more damaged compared to genotypes from newly colonized areas at the most northern site in the novel range, which was dominated by generalist slug herbivory. We also detected subtle shifts in chemical defenses between the plant origins. Genotypes from the novel range had more inducible defenses. Our results suggest that plants that are expanding their range with climate change may evolve increased vigor and altered herbivore resistance in their new range, analogous to invasive plants.

Department of Botany Faculty of Science Charles University Prague Benátská 2 128 01 Prague 2 Czech Republic Institute of Botany The Czech Academy of Sciences Zámek 1 252 43 Průhonice Czech Republic

Institute of Biology Leiden University P O Box 9505 2300 RA Leiden The Netherlands

Molecular Interactions Ecology German Centre for Integrative Biodiverisity Research Deutscher Platz 5e 04103 Leipzig Germany Institute of Ecology Friedrich Schiller University Jena Dornburger Str 159 07743 Jena Germany Molecular Interaction Ecology Department of Plant Science Radboud University P O Box 9010 6500 GL Nijmegen The Netherlands

Plant Ecology University of Tübingen Auf der Morgenstelle 5 72076 Tübingen Germany

Plant Ecology University of Tübingen Auf der Morgenstelle 5 72076 Tübingen Germany Molecular Interaction Ecology Department of Plant Science Radboud University P O Box 9010 6500 GL Nijmegen The Netherlands

Plant Evolutionary Ecology University of Tübingen Auf der Morgenstelle 5 72076 Tübingen Germany

Terrestrial Ecology Netherlands Institute of Ecology Droevendaalsesteeg 10 6708 PB Wageningen The Netherlands

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