Invasive plants negatively impact native, but not exotic, animals

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Invasive Species Biology
• Conservation Biology

Background:

• Understanding the ecological impacts of invasive plants is crucial for ecosystem management.
• Gaps exist in knowledge regarding differential responses of native and exotic species to invasions.
• Clarifying these differences can illuminate basic ecological interactions and inform conservation strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a meta-analytic review on the effects of invasive plants on native and exotic resident animals.
• To determine if invasive plants disproportionately affect native versus exotic animal abundance.
• To explore variations in these impacts across animal phyla, ecosystem types, and time.

Main Methods:

• A meta-analytic review was performed, synthesizing data from existing studies.
• The review analyzed the effects of invasive plants on the abundance of native and exotic animals.
• Data were examined for variations based on animal phyla, ecosystem type (wet/dry), trophic level, and duration of invasion.

Main Results:

• Invasive plants significantly reduced the abundance of native animals but had no significant effect on exotic animals.
• Impacts varied by animal phyla, with native annelids and chordates showing reduced abundance, unlike mollusks and arthropods.
• Invasive plant impacts intensified over time and differed between wet and dry ecosystems, but not across trophic levels.

Conclusions:

• Native and exotic animal species exhibit differential responses to plant invasions, with native species being more negatively affected.
• The findings highlight the potential for invasive plants to disrupt food webs and exacerbate global change impacts.
• Further research is recommended to explicitly consider resident biogeographic origin and conduct species-level analyses for a comprehensive understanding of invasion ecology.