Impact of non-native species on communities mediated by mutualistic interactions.

Abstract

Traveset, A. Impact of non-native species on communities mediated by mutualistic interactions. 2015. Ecosistemas 24(1): 67-75. Doi.: 10.7818/ECOS.2015.24-1.11

The arrival of non-native species on a community often implies dramatic changes in the network of interactions existing among native species. In the specific case of an invasive species, it can significantly alter the structure of the community, promoting the regression of several species, reducing biodiversity and changing ecosystem functioning. This paper focuses on the impact that these introduced species, many of them being invasive, can have on three types of mutualistic interactions (biotic pollination and seed dispersal, and plant-microorganism symbiosis). Specifically, the different mechanisms whereby these interactions are influenced by invasive species (plants, animals or microorganisms) are reviewed. Mutualistic disruptions due to biological invasions are increasingly being documented from most terrestrial ecosystems, mainly island ecosystems. They usually result from the combined effect of invaders and other drivers of global change (habitat loss, climate change, etc.), although there are still few studies on the synergistic and non-additive effect of such drivers. The tools of ecological networks, together with phylogenetic methods, represent a useful framework in order to foresee the effects of global change at the community level, and can help predicting the tipping points beyond which a community collapse can occur. The conservation implications of mutualistic disruptions are discussed, and the gaps of knowledge in this field are identified.