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Functional response predicts invasiveness but not trophic impact.

Marine A Courtois^1,2, Chloé Souques¹, Yann Voituron¹

¹Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, LEHNA, UMR 5023, Villeurbanne, France.

The Journal of Animal Ecology

|February 17, 2026

Summary

Invasive species have higher functional responses (FR) than non-invasive ones, but only in their native ranges. In invaded ranges, their FRs are comparable, challenging direct extrapolation for invasion risk assessment.

Keywords:

alien species attack rate biological invasions ecological filtering feeding rates freshwater fish impact prediction temperature

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Area of Science:

Ecology
Invasive Species Biology
Biodiversity Research

Background:

Biological invasions significantly erode biodiversity, with invasive species often exhibiting greater trophic impacts than native species.
Functional response (FR) tests, measuring consumption rates relative to prey density, are key to assessing these impacts.
FR parameters like attack rate (a) and handling time (h) are used to compare species' predatory efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate if functional response (FR) parameters differ between invasive species in their native versus invaded ranges.
To test the assumption that FR measures are directly extrapolable across a species' distribution.
To understand the role of biogeographic context in invasion success and ecological impact.

Main Methods:

A phylogenetically corrected comparative analysis was performed on 269 FR observations from 45 freshwater fish species.
Species were categorized as non-invasive or invasive, with invasive species further distinguished by sampling location (native vs. invasion range).
Key FR parameters (attack rate and handling time) were analyzed in relation to species type and sampling range.

Main Results:

Invasive species showed higher FR than non-invasive species, but only when sampled in their native range.
Invasive species in their invasion range exhibited FRs comparable to non-invasive species.
Attack rates decreased with temperature in non-invasive species but tended to increase in invasive species from introduction ranges, suggesting climate change impacts.

Conclusions:

High FR predisposes species to invasiveness, but these traits may not persist or manifest identically in invaded ecosystems.
The biogeographic context is crucial; FRs measured in native ranges cannot be directly extrapolated to predict trophic impacts in new environments.
Future invasion risk assessments must incorporate biogeographic factors and consider how environmental conditions in the invasion range influence species interactions.