What factors contribute to plant invasiveness?

Invasive species have a significant influence on human health, economics, biodiversity, and ecosystem function in many areas of the world. There has been a great deal of interest in identifying characteristics that promote plant invasiveness as this may facilitate prediction of future invasions, determine the best ways to control invasive species, and help understand the impact of invasive species on native systems. Our current work on invasiveness examines patterns of resource use efficiency and phenotypic plasticity for functional traits related to resource acquisition. We are also examining differences in above-ground herbivory and allocation to chemical and structural defenses among native and invasive species in Hawaii. Click here for a Nature podcast highlighting some of this research.

Using functional traits to restore invaded ecosystems

Comparing the functional traits of invasive and native species may identify ways to promote the growth of native species and/or curtail the growth of invasive species. This information can be used by resource managers to prioritize areas for invasive species control and to evaluate the potential for resource manipulation (light, nutrient, water availability) as a restoration strategy. Our current work in Hawaii focuses on comparing plant functional traits between invasive and native species to identify which native species can outperform invasive species and what environmental conditions are required to favor the growth of natives over invasives during restoration.

Using remote sensing to detect invasive species

Understanding how species differences in biochemistry contribute to biological invasion has important implications for the development of techniques to identify and manage invaders. Remote sensing technology (sensing of the Earth's surface from space by making use of the properties of electromagnetic waves emitted, reflected or diffracted by the sensed objects) can aid in mapping the distribution and spread of invasive species over large areas. Currently these approaches are limited to distinguishing species with very different chemical compositions. In collaboration with Dr. Greg Asner (Carnegie Institution) our research aims to expand the use of remote sensing technology to identify and track invasive plant species by identifying key biochemical pools that will differentiate a wide range of plant species.

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