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Learning takes time: Biotic resistance by native herbivores increases through the invasion process.
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  • Jorge Santamaría,
  • Raül Golo,
  • Jana Verdura,
  • Fiona Tomas,
  • Enric Ballesteros,
  • Teresa Alcoverro,
  • Rohan Arthur,
  • Emma Cebrian
Jorge Santamaría
Centre d'Estudis Avancats de Blanes

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Raül Golo
Universitat de Girona
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Jana Verdura
Université Côte d'Azur
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Fiona Tomas
Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados
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Enric Ballesteros
Centre d'Estudis Avancats de Blanes
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Teresa Alcoverro
Centre d'Estudis Avancats de Blanes
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Rohan Arthur
Nature Conservation Foundation
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Emma Cebrian
Centre d'Estudis Avancats de Blanes
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Abstract

As invasive species spread, the ability of local communities to resist invasion depends on the strength of biotic interactions. Evolutionarily unused to the invader, native predators or herbivores may be initially wary of consuming newcomers, allowing them to proliferate. However, these relationships may be highly dynamic, and novel consumer-resource interactions could form as familiarity grows. Here, we explore the development of effective biotic resistance towards a highly invasive alga using multiple space-for-time approaches. We show that the principal native Mediterranean herbivore learns to consume the invader within less than a decade. At recently invaded sites, the herbivore actively avoided the alga, shifting to distinct preference and high consumptions at older sites. This rapid strengthening of the interaction contributed to the eventual collapse of the alga after an initial dominance. Therefore, our results stress the importance of conserving key native populations to allow communities to develop effective resistance mechanisms against invaders.
14 Mar 2022Submitted to Ecology Letters
17 Mar 2022Submission Checks Completed
17 Mar 2022Assigned to Editor
22 Mar 2022Reviewer(s) Assigned
01 May 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
10 May 2022Editorial Decision: Revise Major
08 Aug 20221st Revision Received
09 Aug 2022Submission Checks Completed
09 Aug 2022Assigned to Editor
17 Aug 2022Reviewer(s) Assigned
06 Sep 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
08 Sep 2022Editorial Decision: Accept
Nov 2022Published in Ecology Letters volume 25 issue 11 on pages 2525-2539. 10.1111/ele.14115