Erigeron annuus (L.) Pers. and Solidago canadensis L. antagonistically affect community stability and community invasibility under the co-invasion condition.

Abstract

The successful invasion of one invasive alien plant (IAP) can generate a favorable habitat in the invaded communities that beneficial to the successful invasion of the subsequent IAP. Advanced variations in the species number of IAP have the potential to alter the functional similarity and dissimilarity between IAP and co-existing native plant species (NPS), plant taxonomic diversity, plant functional diversity, community stability, and community invasibility. This study aims to evaluate the effects of the co-invasion of two notorious IAP, Erigeron annuus (L.) Pers. and Solidago canadensis L., on the functional similarity and dissimilarity between IAP and co-existing NPS, plant taxonomic diversity, plant functional diversity, community stability, and community invasibility in East China by using a comparative study. Results presented that: (I) IAP and co-existing NPS tend to converge functionally under E. annuus invasion and the functional similarity between IAP and co-existing NPS under E. annuus invasion supports the habitat filtering; (II) IAP and co-existing NPS tend to diverge functionally under S. canadensis invasion and the co-invasion condition and the functional dissimilarity between IAP and co-existing NPS under S. canadensis invasion and the co-invasion condition supports the niche differentiation; (III) plant taxonomic diversity was dramatically reduced under invasion condition, especially under S. canadensis invasion; (IV) Mason's α functional diversity was remarkably elevated under S. canadensis invasion and the co-invasion condition; (V) E. annuus and S. canadensis antagonistically affect community stability and community invasibility under the co-invasion condition compared with their independent invasion.