Niche Dynamics of Alien Plant Species in Mediterranean Europe.

ABSTRACT: Humans have spread plants globally for millennia, inadvertently causing ecological disruptions. Apart from their negative effects, biological invasions provide a unique opportunity to study how species modify their niche when confronted with novel environments. Focusing on the Mediterranean Basin, we assessed (1) which traits influence niche dynamics, and (2) whether niche conservatism or niche shift promotes invasion success. We selected the 80 most widespread alien vascular plant species in Mediterranean Europe and compiled data on their distributions in their native and invaded ranges. We then tested how a species' residence time, biogeographic origin, dispersal ability, functional traits, and intraspecific trait variability (ITV) influence its niche dynamics following invasion. Using a

SUBMITTER: Cao Pinna L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12315792 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature