Invasive Plant Ecology in Mediterranean Ecosystems

In Mediterranean ecosystems, characterised by mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers, invasive plants pose a significant threat to native biodiversity, ecosystem function and landscape resilience. Species such as Carpobrotus edulis, Acacia spp. and various grasses exploit disturbed soils, altered fire regimes and nutrient enrichment to establish dense monocultures. These invaders can alter soil chemistry through allelopathic compounds, suppress native seed germination and disrupt water availability in already drought‐prone habitats. The heterogeneity of Mediterranean landscapes—from coastal dunes and garrigue shrublands to rocky maquis and riparian corridors—creates a mosaic of invasion pathways and management challenges. Recent work highlights that invaders not only reduce species richness (alpha diversity) within affected patches but also homogenise community composition across the landscape, diminishing beta diversity. Demographic and spatial modelling has revealed key life‐history stages—often the survival and growth of mature clonal fragments—that drive population expansion. Management efforts increasingly combine mechanical removal, targeted herbicide application and ecological restoration, yet long‐term success often depends on addressing underlying drivers such as altered disturbance regimes, invasive seed banks and changing climatic conditions. A holistic understanding of invasion ecology is essential to develop adaptive strategies that conserve endemic flora and maintain ecosystem services such as soil stabilisation, pollination networks and carbon sequestration.

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Invasive Plant Ecology in Mediterranean Ecosystems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in invasive plant ecology in mediterranean ecosystems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Alpha diversity: The number of species (species richness) and their relative abundances within a single habitat plot.

Beta diversity: The variation in species composition between different habitat plots or across landscape patches.

Allelopathy: The chemical inhibition of one plant species by another through the release of biochemicals into the environment.

Integral Projection Model (IPM): A demographic tool that uses size or age as continuous variables to predict population dynamics and identify stages most sensitive to management.

References

1. Impacts of the Invasive Alien Carpobrotus spp. on Coastal Habitats on a Mediterranean Island (Giglio Island, Central Italy). Plants (2022).
2. Effects of Soil Characteristics, Allelopathy and Frugivory on Establishment of the Invasive Plant Carpobrotus edulis and a Co-Occuring Native, Malcolmia littorea. PLOS ONE (2012).
3. Demographic analysis of an Israeli Carpobrotus population. PLOS ONE (2021).
4. (Not) sweeping invasive alien plants under the carpet: results from the use of mulching sheets for the control of invasive Carpobrotus spp.. Biological Invasions (2023).