Invasion ecology

Unified theory

Metacommunity paradigm

• Spatial heterogeneity

The theory of ecological communities [Vellend (2016)]

• Ecological selection

• Migration

• Species sorting

• Ecological drift

[Reference]

• Vellend, M. (2016). The theory of ecological communities (MPB-57). In The theory of ecological communities (MPB-57). Princeton University Press.

What characteristics of resident and invasive species can affect the success of invaders, coexistence, species distribution and thus biodiversity?

• Movement and Dispersal of residents and invaders

[Reference]

• Spatial heterogeneity

[Reference]

• Population size in a local community and Ecological drift

[Reference]

• Orrock, J. L., & Watling, J. I. (2010). Local community size mediates ecological drift and competition in metacommunities. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 277(1691), 2185-2191.

• ???

Comtemporary (rapid) evolution

In general, the following three types of rapid evolution in resident and invasive species can affect coexistence.

1. Resistance

2. Character displacement

3. Local adaptation and improvement of competitive ability

4. Engineering of a new environment

Empirical studies show the importance of the following types of evolution:

• Resistance

Recently, theoretical studies suggest...

• Evolutionary rescue to avoid the Allee effect

[Reference]

• Sherpa, S., & Després, L. (2021). The evolutionary dynamics of biological invasions: A multi‐approach perspective. Evolutionary Applications, 14(6), 1463-1484.

Invasion speed

• Reference

[Theoretical]

[Empirical]

Impacts of invasive species

[Reference]

• Mooney, H. A., & Cleland, E. E. (2001). The evolutionary impact of invasive species. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 98(10), 5446-5451.

Communities of multiple species

Co-invasion

[Reference]

• Liu, Y., Du, Y., Li, C., Li, Y., Wang, C., & Du, D. (2025). Co-invasion of three invasive alien plants increases plant taxonomic diversity and community invasibility. Plant Diversity.

More to read

• Reference

[Review]

• • Vanderhoeven, S., Brown, C. S., Tepolt, C. K., Tsutsui, N. D., Vanparys, V., Atkinson, S., ... & Monty, A. (2010). PERSPECTIVE: Linking concepts in the ecology and evolution of invasive plants: network analysis shows what has been most studied and identifies knowledge gaps. Evolutionary Applications, 3(2), 193-202.

  • Mooney, H. A., & Cleland, E. E. (2001). The evolutionary impact of invasive species. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 98(10), 5446-5451.

  • Gioria, M., Hulme, P. E., Richardson, D. M., & Pyšek, P. (2023). Why are invasive plants successful?. Annual Review of Plant Biology, 74(1), 635-670.