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The effects of co-invasion by three Asteraceae invasive alien species on plant taxonomic and functional diversity in herbaceous ruderal communities in southern Jiangsu, China

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Abstract

Invasive alien species can affect plant taxonomic and functional diversity. Multiple invasive alien species can co-invade the same plant community. However, the effects of such co-invasion on plant taxonomic and functional diversity are currently unclear. Our study aimed to estimate the effects of co-invasion by three Asteraceae invasive alien species (i.e., Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronquist, Conyza sumatrensis (S.F. Blake) Pruski and G. Sancho, and Solidago canadensis L.) on plant taxonomic and functional diversity in herbaceous ruderal communities in southern Jiangsu, China. The effects of these three invasive alien species under seven invasion combinations (including invasion by one invasive alien species, co-invasion by two invasive alien species, and co-invasion by these three invasive alien species) on plant taxonomic and functional diversity were investigated in a comparative field study of herbaceous ruderal communities. Niche differentiation mediated the functional divergence between these three invasive alien species and natives under all invasion combinations. These three invasive alien species significantly increased plant taxonomic diversity (especially plant diversity and richness) and plant functional diversity (especially Rao’s quadratic entropies) under all invasion combinations. The relative abundance of invasive alien species was significantly positively associated with plant functional diversity (especially community-weighted mean trait values and Rao’s quadratic entropy). The number of invasive alien species was significantly positively associated with plant taxonomic diversity (especially plant diversity and richness) and plant functional diversity (especially Rao’s quadratic entropies). Thus, co-invasion by these three invasive alien species may synergistically increase plant taxonomic diversity (especially plant diversity and richness) and functional diversity (especially Rao’s quadratic entropies).

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Acknowledgements

We are very grateful to the anonymous reviewer for the insightful and constructive comments that greatly improved the clarity of this manuscript.

Funding

This study was funded by Open Science Research Fund of Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, China (Grant No.: K2020B02), Special Research Project of School of Emergency Management, Jiangsu University (Grant No.: KY-C-01), National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.: 32071521), Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality Technology Innovation Foundation of Jiangsu Province (Grant No.: BK20220030), and Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Technology and Material of Water Treatment (no grant number).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Environment and Ecology and School of Environment and Safety Engineering and School of Emergency Management, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, People’s Republic of China

    Chuang Li, Yue Li, Zhelun Xu, Shanshan Zhong, Huiyuan Cheng, Youli Yu & Congyan Wang

  2. College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, People’s Republic of China

    Huiyuan Cheng

  3. Zhenjiang Environmental Monitoring Center of Jiangsu Province, Zhenjiang, 212009, People’s Republic of China

    Jun Liu

  4. Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, People’s Republic of China

    Congyan Wang

  5. Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Technology and Material of Water Treatment, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215009, People’s Republic of China

    Congyan Wang

  6. Jingjiang College and Institute of Enviroment and Ecology and School of Emergency Management and School of Environment and Safety Engineering and School of Agricultural Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, People’s Republic of China

    Daolin Du

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  1. Chuang Li
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Correspondence to Congyan Wang or Daolin Du.

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Li, C., Li, Y., Xu, Z. et al. The effects of co-invasion by three Asteraceae invasive alien species on plant taxonomic and functional diversity in herbaceous ruderal communities in southern Jiangsu, China. BIOLOGIA FUTURA (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42977-024-00202-w

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