EDITORIAL: Plant invasions: Mechanisms, impacts and management

Abstract

Biological invasions represent one of the greatest threats for biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services and economic development at a global scale. Investigations in the field of plant invasions have increased enormously over the last decades. However, despite important advances achieved, many crucial details remain unsolved. The articles included in this Special Issue cover a wide range of angles related with plant invasions, focusing mainly on mechanisms explaining the success of exotic plants in their introduced range, but also addressing impacts on native communities and management aspects. Results reported in this Special Issue highlight the importance of clonal fragmentation and floatability as successful dispersal strategies for invasive species, the potential differences in plant–soil feedbacks between native and invasive species, the effects of invasive species on plant–pollinator networks and the roles of plant traits in explaining invasiveness, and measures for monitoring and controlling plant invasions. While delving into mechanisms underlying plant invasions is still key, developing new technologies to control plant invasions is urgently needed. Connection between research and policymakers is mandatory to buffer the negative impact of plant invasions.