Response of native insect communities to invasive plants

Annu Rev Entomol. 2014:59:119-41. doi: 10.1146/annurev-ento-011613-162104. Epub 2013 Oct 18.

Abstract

Invasive plants can disrupt a range of trophic interactions in native communities. As a novel resource they can affect the performance of native insect herbivores and their natural enemies such as parasitoids and predators, and this can lead to host shifts of these herbivores and natural enemies. Through the release of volatile compounds, and by changing the chemical complexity of the habitat, invasive plants can also affect the behavior of native insects such as herbivores, parasitoids, and pollinators. Studies that compare insects on related native and invasive plants in invaded habitats show that the abundance of insect herbivores is often lower on invasive plants, but that damage levels are similar. The impact of invasive plants on the population dynamics of resident insect species has been rarely examined, but invasive plants can influence the spatial and temporal dynamics of native insect (meta)populations and communities, ultimately leading to changes at the landscape level.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biota
  • Food Chain*
  • Herbivory
  • Insecta / parasitology
  • Insecta / physiology*
  • Introduced Species*
  • Plant Physiological Phenomena*
  • Pollination
  • Population Dynamics