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Asymmetric succession in soil microbial communities enhances the competitive advantage of invasive alien plants
Summary
Researchers found that invasive plant species gain a competitive edge by recruiting beneficial soil microbes from surrounding native soil, creating an "asymmetric" shift where invasive plants build supportive microbial communities faster than native plants can. This biological feedback loop helps explain why invasive plants spread so successfully and points to new strategies for controlling them.
Therefore, the asymmetric succession in soil microbial communities enables invasive plants recruit beneficial microbiota from the surrounding soil. These results deepen our understanding of the mechanism underlying plant invasion and provide novel insights into predicting the ecological consequences resulting from widespread plant invasion. This knowledge can be incorporated into management strategies to address the evolving challenges posed by invasive plants. Video Abstract.
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