Community Dynamics in Biological Invasions
Summary
Community dynamics in biological invasions explore how introduced species interact with native populations, altering competition, predation and mutualism to reshape ecosystem structure and function. The interplay of native species richness, functional traits and phylogenetic relationships determines community resistance or susceptibility to invasion. High diversity often limits invader success by filling ecological niches and fully utilising resources, whereas disturbances—such as habitat fragmentation, climate extremes and land-use change—weaken these natural defences. Trait-based and phylogenetic frameworks have improved predictions of invasion outcomes and inform management aimed at restoring native biodiversity, enhancing resilience and mitigating the ecological and economic impacts of biological invasions worldwide.
Research from Nature Portfolio
A global synthesis in forest ecosystems reported that human-mediated introduction is the main determinant of non-native tree presence, while invasion severity is governed by the phylogenetic and functional diversity of the resident tree community. Sites with richer native lineages experienced lower invader spread, with environmental extremes favouring invaders resembling the native flora. In grasslands, meta-analysis confirmed that higher species richness enhances resistance to plant invasions under warming and multiple concurrent climate factors, although drought can dampen this effect. Together, these studies affirm the role of native biodiversity in buffering against invasions under current and future global change.
Community Dynamics in Biological Invasions publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in community dynamics in biological invasions across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Community dynamics: How species interactions and environmental factors shape community composition and function over time.
Invasibility: The extent to which a community permits successful establishment of non-native species.
Propagule pressure: The intensity and frequency of arrival of potential invaders.
Biotic resistance: The capacity of native communities to repel or suppress invaders.
Phylogenetic diversity: Diversity measured by evolutionary distances among species.
Functional diversity: Variability in species’ traits that influence ecological roles and processes.
References
- Native diversity buffers against severity of non-native tree invasions. Nature (2023).
- Biodiversity increases resistance of grasslands against plant invasions under multiple environmental changes. Nature Communications (2024).
- Addressing context dependence in ecology. Trends in Ecology & Evolution (2021).
- Mechanisms of Invasion Resistance of Aquatic Plant Communities. Frontiers in Plant Science (2018).
- Land-use change and propagule pressure promote plant invasions in tropical rainforest remnants. Landscape Ecology (2020).
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