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Community Assembly Theory as a Framework for Biological Invasions
Dean E Pearson1, Yvette K Ortega2, Özkan Eren3
1Rocky Mountain Research Station, United States Forest Service, Missoula, MT 59801, USA; University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59801, USA.
Trends in Ecology & Evolution
|April 2, 2018
Summary
Exotic species can outperform native species by following ecological assembly rules or by exhibiting novel interactions. Disturbance can favor invasive species with ruderal traits, explaining their success.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Invasive Species Biology
- Community Ecology
Background:
- Biological invasions are a global ecological problem.
- Exotic species often outperform native species, a paradox lacking explanation.
- Understanding the mechanisms of invasion success is crucial for conservation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explain how exotic species outperform native species using community assembly theory.
- To evaluate exotic species performance against established native community assembly rules.
- To investigate the role of disturbance in facilitating exotic species success.
Main Methods:
- Defined local community assembly rules by assessing native species traits and their interaction with community filters.
- Evaluated exotic species performance by comparing their interactions with community filters to those of native species.
- Incorporated extrinsic assembly processes and species traits (ruderal strategies) to explain invasion success after disturbance.
Main Results:
- Exotic species adhering to native assembly rules performed similarly to natives.
- Exotic species with novel interactions with community filters showed variable performance (under- or outperforming natives).
- Disturbance-induced advantages for exotics were linked to their biased toward ruderal traits.
Conclusions:
- Community assembly theory provides a robust framework for understanding biological invasions.
- Exotic species success is contingent on their interactions with community filters and environmental context.
- Ruderal traits, often favored after disturbance, can confer significant advantages to invasive species.
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