2001
d’Antonio, Carla; Levine, Jonathan; Thomsen, Meredith
Ecosystem resistance to invasion and the role of propagule supply: a California perspective Journal Article
In: International Journal of Mediterranean Ecology, vol. 27, pp. 233-245, 2001.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: alien species, competition, disturbance, exotic invaders, non-indigenous plants.
@article{d'Antonio2001,
title = {Ecosystem resistance to invasion and the role of propagule supply: a California perspective},
author = {Carla d'Antonio and Jonathan Levine and Meredith Thomsen},
url = {https://angelo.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/59/dantonio_levine_thomsen_2001.pdf},
year = {2001},
date = {2001-00-00},
journal = {International Journal of Mediterranean Ecology},
volume = {27},
pages = {233-245},
abstract = {The concept of ecological resistance includes both abiotic and biotic features of a recipient environment that influence the success of propagules of a species that has not previously occurred on a site. Despite broad interest in this topic by ecologists and land managers, we lack an understanding of what factors contribute to ecological resistance and how processes influencing resistance interact with the supply of propagules to determine invasion success. Here we present a simple conceptual framework for examining how variation in propagule supply should interact with ecosystem resistance to influence the rate at which exotic invaders enter a habitat. We suggest that when resistance is low, it takes very few propagules for an invader to become established and that rates of invasion will be fast regardless of propagule supply. As resistance increases, however, it takes proportionally more propagules for the invader to establish. When resistance is high invasion will occur only when propagule pressure is high or when invaders themselves can alter resistance as they get a toehold in the community. When resistance is controlled largely by biotic factors we believe that it can be overcome by high rates of propagule supply even if initially appears to be strong, because over space and time biological sources of resistance are likely to be variable allowing windows when a site has moved to a region of the propagule supply axis where many fewer propagules are required for invasion to occur. By contrast, strong abiotic resistance is less likely to be overwhelmed by high propagule pressure and if determined largely by soil factors, is likely to be relatively constant over space and time. We also suggest, that some invaders of harsh environments are successful because of their own ability to modify abiotic conditions thus decreasing the number of propagules needed to promote further invasion. We review examples of resistance in California plant communities and where possible show how resistance interacts with propagule supply. Overall, we found very few studies that measure or consider the role of propagule supply and how it interacts with resistance factors and we believe that such studies are badly needed if we are to advance our understanding of controls over biological invasion.},
keywords = {alien species, competition, disturbance, exotic invaders, non-indigenous plants.},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
The concept of ecological resistance includes both abiotic and biotic features of a recipient environment that influence the success of propagules of a species that has not previously occurred on a site. Despite broad interest in this topic by ecologists and land managers, we lack an understanding of what factors contribute to ecological resistance and how processes influencing resistance interact with the supply of propagules to determine invasion success. Here we present a simple conceptual framework for examining how variation in propagule supply should interact with ecosystem resistance to influence the rate at which exotic invaders enter a habitat. We suggest that when resistance is low, it takes very few propagules for an invader to become established and that rates of invasion will be fast regardless of propagule supply. As resistance increases, however, it takes proportionally more propagules for the invader to establish. When resistance is high invasion will occur only when propagule pressure is high or when invaders themselves can alter resistance as they get a toehold in the community. When resistance is controlled largely by biotic factors we believe that it can be overcome by high rates of propagule supply even if initially appears to be strong, because over space and time biological sources of resistance are likely to be variable allowing windows when a site has moved to a region of the propagule supply axis where many fewer propagules are required for invasion to occur. By contrast, strong abiotic resistance is less likely to be overwhelmed by high propagule pressure and if determined largely by soil factors, is likely to be relatively constant over space and time. We also suggest, that some invaders of harsh environments are successful because of their own ability to modify abiotic conditions thus decreasing the number of propagules needed to promote further invasion. We review examples of resistance in California plant communities and where possible show how resistance interacts with propagule supply. Overall, we found very few studies that measure or consider the role of propagule supply and how it interacts with resistance factors and we believe that such studies are badly needed if we are to advance our understanding of controls over biological invasion.