Naturalized and Invasive Species Integrate Differently in the Trait Space of Local Plant Communities

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Plant Biology
• Invasive Species Research

Background:

• Understanding alien plant species integration into native communities is crucial for ecological management.
• The functional traits of alien plants influence their success and impact on local ecosystems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how naturalized non-invasive and invasive alien plant species functionally integrate into native plant communities.
• To identify the key functional traits driving these integration patterns across different habitats.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 12,460 plant communities across six habitats.
• Comparison of functional traits (specific leaf area, plant height, seed mass, genome size) between native, naturalized, and invasive species.

Main Results:

• Naturalized non-invasive species integrated near the center of the native community's functional trait space.
• Invasive species tended to occupy the edges of the functional trait space.
• Key traits driving these patterns included specific leaf area, plant height, and seed mass.

Conclusions:

• Functional similarity facilitates naturalization by preadapting alien species to local conditions.
• Functional dissimilarity allows invasive species to exploit new niches and avoid direct competition.
• The observed patterns are habitat-specific, reflecting local ecological conditions and dominant native species traits.