The Effects and the Key Mechanisms of Co-invasion Mediated by Two or More Invasive Plant Species

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Ecology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2024) | Viewed by 1108

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Institute of Environment and Ecology, School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, No. 301, Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang, 212013, China
Interests: invasion ecology; plant invasion; invasive plant species; invasive alien plants; invasiveness; invasibility; co-invasion
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Guest Editor
School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, No. 35, Qinghua East Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: invasion ecology; wetland ecology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Invasive plants affect the composition of native habitats, often leading to biodiversity loss. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms underlying successful biological invasion has become an important issue in invasion ecology.

The successful invasion of one invasive plant can usually increase the chances of a successful invasion of another invasive plant in the same habitat, a phenomenon known as co-invasion (or secondary invasion, invasion meltdown, and invasion vortex). As a result, there are two or even more invasive plant species in numerous occupied habitats.

The aim of this Special Issue is to analyze and elucidate the environmental and ecological effects of co-invasion, to assess the environmental and ecological risks of co-invasion, and to elucidate the key mechanisms underlying co-invasion.

Original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  1. The effects and the key mechanisms of co-invasion on the growth performance of native species.
  2. The effects and the key mechanisms of co-invasion on plant diversity.
  3. The effects and the key mechanisms of co-invasion on animal diversity.
  4. The effects and the key mechanisms of co-invasion on microbial diversity.
  5. The effects and the key mechanisms of co-invasion on ecological services.
  6. The effect and the key mechanisms of an invasive plant on the invasion process of another invasive plant.
  7. The role of native species during co-invasion.
  8. The role of environmental factors (e.g., soil nutrient levels, etc.) during co-invasion.
  9. The effects of global change (e.g., temperature changes and precipitation changes, etc.) on the probability of co-invasion.

Prof. Dr. Congyan Wang
Prof. Dr. Hongli Li
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • invasive plant
  • co-invasion
  • native species
  • environmental factor
  • global change
  • ecological effects

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 3309 KiB  
Article
Co-Invasion of Congeneric Invasive Plants Adopts Different Strategies Depending on Their Origins
by Yujun Guo, Meini Shao, Ping Guan, Mengyang Yu, Lin Geng, Ying Gao, Lin Meng and Bo Qu
Plants 2024, 13(13), 1807; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13131807 - 30 Jun 2024
Viewed by 441
Abstract
Plant communities may be co-invaded by invasive plants, sometimes even by congeneric invasive plants (CIPs). Despite the growing understanding of co-invasion in the environment, little is known about how CIP interactions and mechanisms regulate co-invasion. Darwin’s naturalisation conundrum predicts that the coexistence of [...] Read more.
Plant communities may be co-invaded by invasive plants, sometimes even by congeneric invasive plants (CIPs). Despite the growing understanding of co-invasion in the environment, little is known about how CIP interactions and mechanisms regulate co-invasion. Darwin’s naturalisation conundrum predicts that the coexistence of closely related species is difficult due to their structural and behavioural similarities. Nevertheless, communities containing closely related species are more susceptible to being invaded because close relatives may favour similar environments; therefore, this hypothesis should be followed in the co-invasion of CIPs. To explore whether the phylogenetic relatedness and origins of invasive species to CIPs can promote or hinder co-invasion, we conducted a controlled interaction and soil-legacy greenhouse experiment to quantify the growth response of invasive plants and their congeners. We consistently found that CIPs of identical origin were more likely to co-invade compared to CIPs of distinct origins. CIPs of distinct origins exhibited an antagonistic effect on co-invasion by allelopathy. Invasive plant-conditioned soil was more conducive to the growth of CIPs of identical origin than CIPs of distinct origins. Our results revealed the different effects of invader–invader phylogenetic relatedness on co-invader success and impact, suggesting the operation of different mechanisms across co-invasion. Full article
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