Phylogenetically Poor Plant Communities Receive More Alien Species, Which More Easily Coexist with Natives
Gerhold P, Pärtel M, Tackenberg O, Hennekens S M, Bartish I, Schaminee J H J, Fergus A J F, Ozinga W A, Prinzing A

Type of Publication:
Reviewed Journal Article

Source:
American Naturalist, 2011, V177, N5, MAY, pp 668-680 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/659059.

Abstract:
Alien species can be a major threat to ecological communities, but we do not know why some community types allow the entry of many more alien species than do others. Here, for the first time, we suggest that evolutionary diversity inherent to the constituent species of a community may determine its present receptiveness to alien species. Using recent large databases from observational studies, we find robust evidence that assemblage of plant community types from few phylogenetic lineages (in plots without aliens) corresponds to higher receptiveness to aliens. Establishment of aliens in phylogenetically poor communities corresponds to increased phylogenetic dispersion of recipient communities and to coexistence with rather than replacement of natives. This coexistence between natives and distantly related aliens in recipient communities of low phylogenetic dispersion may reflect patterns of trait assembly. In communities without aliens, low phylogenetic dispersion corresponds to increased dispersion of most traits, and establishment of aliens corresponds to increased trait concentration. We conclude that if quantified across the tree of life, high biodiversity correlates with decreasing receptiveness to aliens. Low phylogenetic biodiversity, in contrast, facilitates coexistence between natives and aliens even if they share similar trait states.

URL: link

ProClim- Category:
1.2 Terrestrial Ecosystems

Discipline(s):
Biodiversity , Plant Sciences , Ecology

Main Keywords:
ecological communities; biological invasions; indicator values; diversity; conservatism; invasibility; saturation; gradients; richness; lineages

Author's Keywords:
alien species; community assembly; functional traits; invasions; phylogenetic diversity; species richness

Reprint from:
A Prinzing, Univ Wageningen & Res Ctr, Ctr Ecosyst Studies, Pob 47, Nl 6700 Aa Wageningen, NETHerlands ; Research Addresses: Stephan M ; Hennekens, Joop H ; J ; Schaminee, Wim A ; Ozinga, Andreas Prinzing: Univ Wageningen & Res Ctr, Ctr Ecosyst Studies, Nl 6700 Aa Wageningen, NETHerlands; Pille Gerhold, Meelis Paertel: Univ Tartu, Inst Ecol & Earth Sci, Ee 51005 Tartu, Estonia; Oliver Tackenberg: GoETHe Univ Frankfurt, Inst Ecol Evolut & Div, Frankfurt, Germany; Igor Bartish, Alexander J ; F ; Fergus: Univ Rennes 1, CNRS, Res Unit Ecobio, Res Grp Ecol Diverisificat, F 35042 Rennes, France; Acad Sci Czech Republic, Inst Bot, Cz 25243 Pruhonice, Czech Republic; Univ Zurich, Inst Evolutionary Biol & Environm Studies, CH 8057 Zurich, Switzerland; Radboud Univ Nijmegen, Dept Ecol, Nl 6525 Ed Nijmegen, NETHerlands ; Email: Andreas.prinzing@univ Rennes1.fr

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