Abstract
During the past centuries, humans have introduced many plant species in areas where they do not naturally occur. Some of these species establish populations and in some cases become invasive, causing economic and ecological damage. Which factors determine the success of non-native plants is still incompletely understood, but the absence of natural enemies in the invaded area (Enemy Release Hypothesis; ERH) is one of the most popular explanations. One of the predictions of the ERH, a reduced herbivore load on non-native plants compared with native ones, has been repeatedly tested. However, many studies have either used a community approach (sampling from native and non-native species in the same community) or a biogeographical approach (sampling from the same plant species in areas where it is native and where it is non-native). Either method can sometimes lead to inconclusive results. To resolve this, we here add to the small number of studies that combine both approaches. We do so in a single study of insect herbivory on 47 woody plant species (trees, shrubs, and vines) in the Netherlands and Japan. We find higher herbivore diversity, higher herbivore load and more herbivory on native plants than on non-native plants, generating support for the enemy release hypothesis.
Highlights
With the increase of human population density, colonisation opportunities for plants have changed dramatically
We investigated four measures for herbivory, viz. species richness, abundance, and dry weight of phytophagous insects, and the level of herbivory
In line with the prediction under the enemy release hypothesis (ERH), the insect species richness was higher on plants when growing in their native area
Summary
With the increase of human population density, colonisation opportunities for plants have changed dramatically. Many plant species have been transported, either intentionally or accidentally, outside their native habitat and imported into novel areas. In most countries at least 10% of the flora is introduced, ranging up to almost 50% in some areas, like New Zealand [1]. Often, these introductions lead to ecological damage. In Europe, several species of PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0125607. In Europe, several species of PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0125607 May 8, 2015
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