Susceptibility of non-native invasive plants to novel pathogen attack --
do plant traits matter?
Abstract
1. Invasive plants are considered major threats to biodiversity
globally; however, our understanding of the long-term dynamics of
invasion remains limited. 2. Over time, invasive plants can accumulate
pathogens capable of causing population declines because invaders have a
greater chance of encountering such pathogens as they spread and native
pathogens adapt to use invasive plants as a resource over time. However,
reports typically focus on individual species and ecologists lack a
synthesis approach capable of predicting pathogen susceptibility in
plant invaders. 3. Pathogen resistance and tolerance are tightly coupled
to plant traits, which we suggest can provide a framework for
understanding and predicting novel pathogen accumulation. 4. We reviewed
the literature to synthesize plant traits associated with pathogen
susceptibility and to determine the prevalence of novel pathogen
accumulation on invasive plants. We then used these data and applied a
multivariate model to associate plant traits with pathogen effects to
predict pathogen susceptibility of invasive plants. Finally, we provide
directions for future research. 5. Considering the emergence of
trait-based approaches, comprehensive databases, and new data on
individual invasions, advances in our understanding of invasive
plant-pathogen interactions can lead to breakthroughs both at
fundamental and management decision-making levels.