Learning takes time: Biotic resistance by native herbivores increases
through the invasion process.
- Jorge Santamaría,
- Raül Golo,
- Jana Verdura,
- Fiona Tomas,
- Enric Ballesteros,
- Teresa Alcoverro,
- Rohan Arthur,
- Emma Cebrian
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