Journal
ECOLOGY
Volume 96, Issue 9, Pages 2446-2457Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1890/14-2158.1
Keywords
biological invasion; browsing; enemy release hypothesis; exotic species; herbivory; introduced plants; invasion biology; invasive species
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Funding
- NSF [DDIG-1210436]
- Hanes Trust
- Michigan Botanical Foundation
- Kellogg Biological Station (KBS)
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The enemy release hypothesis predicts that invasive species will receive less damage from enemies, compared to co-occurring native and noninvasive exotic species in their introduced range. However, release operating early in invasion could be lost over time and with increased range size as introduced species acquire new enemies. We used three years of data, from 61 plant species planted into common gardens, to determine whether (1) invasive, noninvasive exotic, and native species experience differential damage from insect herbivores and mammalian browsers, and (2) enemy release is lost with increased residence time and geographic spread in the introduced range. We find no evidence suggesting enemy release is a general mechanism contributing to invasiveness in this region. Invasive species received the most insect herbivory, and damage increased with longer residence times and larger range sizes at three spatial scales. Our results show that invasive and exotic species fail to escape enemies, particularly over longer temporal and larger spatial scales.
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