Invasion impacts in terrestrial ecosystems: Global patterns and predictors.

Authors

Madhav P Thakur, Zhizhuang Gu, Mark van Kleunen, Xuhui Zhou

Published in

Science (New York, N.Y.). Volume 390. Issue 6771. Pages 381-385. Oct 23, 2025. Epub Oct 23, 2025.

Abstract

Biological invasions can alter ecosystems, yet their impacts vary across ecological contexts. Using a global meta-analysis of 775 studies (2223 effect sizes) in terrestrial systems, we show that the most consistent negative impacts are reductions in native plant diversity caused by invasive plants and increases in greenhouse gas emissions driven by both invasive plants and animals. However, evidence of publication bias suggests the latter should be interpreted with caution. Invader residence time emerged as a key predictor: Longer residence times intensified the negative effects of invasive plants on native diversity, whereas impacts on soil abiotic properties tended to weaken over time. Our synthesis reveals that some properties, such as native plant diversity, remain persistently sensitive to invasion, whereas others are more variable as invasions persist.

PMID:
41129653
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 24 Oct 2025.

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