Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Science 8 May 2009:
Vol. 324. no. 5928, pp. 734 - 735
DOI: 10.1126/science.1173651
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Perspectives

Plant Science:

An Invasive Plant Paradox

Marnie E. Rout and Ragan M. Callaway

Why some plants attain extremely high densities in communities where they are exotic, yet remain at low densities in their native ranges is a mystery. The pattern has been called a "paradox" because it conflicts with long-held ideas about the importance of local adaptation for the ecological performance of organisms (1). This biogeographical shift may be connected to other apparent ecological paradoxes that occur with plant invasions involving processes mediated by soil microbes. Invasions can decrease plant species diversity but also increase plant productivity. Rather than depleting soil resources as productivity increases, invasions often increase soil stocks, pools, and fluxes of nitrogen through processes regulated by microbial communities.

Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA.

E-mail: marnie.rout{at}mso.umt.edu

Read the Full Text

To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)