Invasion Resistance: The Double-Edged Sword in Biodiversity

Alien Plant Species: Navigating the Challenges of New Environments

Understanding Interspecific Competition in Alien Species Survival

One may consider, that not all alien species should be perceived as invasive. Notably, some alien plant species could offer beneficial ecosystem services, although when severely suppressed with interspecific competition and isolated from resource pools, biodiversity loss of alien species may be inevitable.

The Historical Journey of Alien Plants to North America

Many members of plant communities in North America were alien species at some point. Between 1492 and 1600, most plants that crossed the Atlantic to North America were brought inadvertently with cargo. The 17th century saw even greater numbers of weedy plants colonizing North America with the influx of European colonists. In the 18th century, human immigrants arrived in North America from all parts of Europe, bringing new “alien” weeds with them (Clements et al., 2004).

Let’s take dandelion as an example. Yes, it is common in disturbed areas. Yes, it is considered a weed by many because it frequently grows where it's not wanted. Nevertheless, the above statements shall not necessarily indicate or imply that dandelion is a villain of the weed world.

Indeed, dandelion was originally introduced to America from Europe as a food plant, and many people enjoy it as a wild edible plant. Furthermore, the dandelion continues to be a subject of interest in weed science research, highlighting its complex role in natural and anthropogenic ecosystems.

Synecoculture and Alien Plants: A Model for Coexistence

Fortunately, models like Synecoculture provide successful examples of multi-community coexistence, demonstrating harmony between native and alien species. For more insights into this innovative approach, read about Synecoculture: A New Paradigm in Ecological Farming.

Further Reading:

Shea, K. and Chesson, P. (2002) Community ecology theory as a framework for biological invasions. Trends in Ecology & Evolution

Clements, D. R., DiTommaso, A., Jordan, N., D. Booth, B. D., Cardina, J., Doohan, D., L. Mohler, C. L., D. Murphy, S. D., and Swanton, C. J. (2004) Adaptability of plants invading North American cropland, Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, Volume 104, Issue 3, 2004, Pages 379-398, ISSN 0167-8809, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2004.03.003.

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/01/science/invasive-species.html

Oleksandr Alba

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