An Invasive Plant Paradox
Abstract
Why some plants attain extremely high densities in communities where they are exotic, yet remain at low densities in their native ranges is a mystery. The pattern has been called a “paradox” because it conflicts with long-held ideas about the importance of local adaptation for the ecological performance of organisms (1). This biogeographical shift may be connected to other apparent ecological paradoxes that occur with plant invasions involving processes mediated by soil microbes. Invasions can decrease plant species diversity but also increase plant productivity. Rather than depleting soil resources as productivity increases, invasions often increase soil stocks, pools, and fluxes of nitrogen through processes regulated by microbial communities.
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References and Notes
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Data from table 1 and figure 3 (flow chart) of (6) were used to generate the dashed line in the figure. The data used were the mean increase of 83% net primary productivity (NPP, also called ANPP in table 1) in invaded systems.
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Science
Volume 324 | Issue 5928
8 May 2009
8 May 2009
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Copyright © 2009, American Association for the Advancement of Science.
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Published in print: 8 May 2009
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