Testing alien plant distribution and habitat invasibility in mountain ecosystems: growth form matters

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Authors

Most studies focused on understanding habitat invasibility use the current levels of invasion as a direct proxy of habitat invasibility. This has shown to be biased by the influence of propagule pressure and climate. We suggest that plant growth forms need to be considered as an extra factor, as habitat preferences might not be equal for all potential invaders. We test the influence of propagule pressure, climate and habitat characteristics on the current level of invasion and habitat invasibility, specifically addressing whether an analysis focused on growth forms evidence different patterns than the total pool of alien species. We used 499 floristic vegetation plots located in Córdoba Mountains. We used proportional alien richness of the total pool and for each growth form as response variables. We identified models that best explained current levels of invasion. We used the residuals of the models with propagule pressure and climate as the response variable. Then, we performed linear models to test the relationship between habitat characteristics and the residuals of the models. We found different drivers of current alien distribution patterns for the total pool and each growth form. Habitat invasibility was not equal when quantified for the total pool or growth forms. Shrublands and outcrops were recorded as less susceptible to woody invasion, while grasslands and native woodlands were resistant to the invasion of grasses and none habitat type was resistant to the invasion of forbs. We highlight that the current level of invasion and habitat invasibility are highly growth form dependent.

Original languageEnglish
JournalBiological Invasions
Volume18
Issue number7
Pages (from-to)2017-2028
Number of pages12
ISSN1387-3547
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 01.07.2016

    Research areas

  • Alien species, Climate, Exotic, Habitat characteristics, Propagule pressure, South America
  • Sustainability Science

Recently viewed

Publications

  1. Evidence-based narratives in European research programming
  2. Six Steps towards a Spatial Design for Large-Scale Pollinator Surveillance Monitoring
  3. Is subjective knowledge the key to fostering sustainable behavior? Mixed evidence from an education intervention in Mexico
  4. Thermal disturbances attenuation using a Lyapunov controller for an ice-clamping device actuated by thermoelectric coolers
  5. Effect of free air carbon dioxide enrichment combined with two nitrogen levels on growth, yield and yield quality of sugar beet
  6. Irish English and Variational Pragmatics
  7. Addressing the complexity of water chemistry in environmental fate modeling for engineered nanoparticles
  8. Mehrsprachigkeit und Interkulturalität in Fremdsprachenportfolios
  9. Green deserts, but not always
  10. Economic Evaluation of an Internet-Based Stress Management Intervention Alongside a Randomized Controlled Trial
  11. Productivity and size of the export market
  12. Jenny and Abigail on the rocks
  13. Strange signs. Invented languages from alienation to zany
  14. Machine Art in the Twentieth Century
  15. Wer wird subventioniert?
  16. Classifying railway stations for strategic transport and land use planning
  17. Sustainable use of soils and time
  18. Career-choice readiness in adolescence
  19. Challenges and Choices in Conducting Qualitative Meta-studies
  20. Strukturen von erzählenden Texten
  21. Postmoderne
  22. Preserving Colias myrmidone in European cultural landscapes
  23. Ziele, Strukturen, Wirkungen transformativer Forschung
  24. In the Making
  25. Police and political violence in the 1960s and 1970s
  26. Digital Health Literacy About COVID-19 as a Factor Mediating the Association Between the Importance of Online Information Search and Subjective Well-Being Among University Students in Vietnam
  27. Erprobung und Evaluierung des ine-Portals TELL ME MORE CAMPUS
  28. Distinktionsgefühle
  29. Demagogen von rechts, Provokateure aus der Mitte
  30. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and goethite promote carbon sequestration via hyphal-aggregate mineral interactions