Biological Invasion Theories: Merging Perspectives from Population, Community and Ecosystem Scales

Olivier Chabrerie (1) , François Massol (2) , Benoit Facon (3) , Romain Thevenoux (4, 5) , Manon Hess (6, 7, 8) , Romain Ulmer (1) , Jelena H. Pantel (9) , Julie Braschi (6, 10) , Laurent Amsellem (11) , Sylvie Baltora-Rosset (1) , Aurélie Tasiemski (2) , Frédéric Grandjean (12) , Patricia Gibert (13) , Matthieu Chauvat (14) , Laurence Affre (6) , Gabrielle Thiébaut (15) , Frédérique Viard (16) , Estelle Forey (14) , Laurent Folcher (4) , Thomas Boivin (17) , Elise Buisson (6) , David M. Richardson (18) , D Renault (15, 19)

1 EDYSAN - Ecologie et Dynamique des Systèmes Anthropisés - UMR CNRS 7058
2 CIIL - Centre d’Infection et d’Immunité de Lille - INSERM U 1019 - UMR 9017 - UMR 8204
3 UMR PVBMT - Peuplements végétaux et bioagresseurs en milieu tropical
4 ANSES - Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l'alimentation, de l'environnement et du travail
5 IGEPP - Institut de Génétique, Environnement et Protection des Plantes
6 IMBE - Institut méditerranéen de biodiversité et d'écologie marine et continentale
7 Institut de recherche pour la conservation des zones humides méditerranéennes
8 NGE-GUINTOLI
9 Department of Computer Science, Mathematics, and Environmental Science, The American University of Paris
10 Naturalia-Environnement
11 Evo-Eco-Paléo (EEP) - Évolution, Écologie et Paléontologie (Evo-Eco-Paleo) - UMR 8198
12 EBI - Ecologie et biologie des interactions
13 LBBE - Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive - UMR 5558
14 ECODIV - Étude et compréhension de la biodiversité
15 ECOBIO - Ecosystèmes, biodiversité, évolution [Rennes]
16 ADMM - Adaptation et diversité en milieu marin
17 URFM - Ecologie des Forêts Méditerranéennes
18 Stellenbosch University
19 IUF - Institut Universitaire de France

Biological invasions have reached an unprecedented level and the number of introduced species is still increasing worldwide. Despite major advances in invasion science, the determinants of success of introduced species, the magnitude and dimensions of their impact, and the mechanisms sustaining successful invasions are still debated. Empirical studies show divergent impacts of nonnative populations on ecosystems and contrasting effects of biotic and abiotic factors on the dynamics of non-native populations; this is hindering the emergence of a unified theory of biological invasions. We propose a synthesis that merges perspectives from population, community, and ecosystem levels. Along a timeline of ecosystem transformation driven by nonnative species, from historical to human-modified ecosystems, we order invasion concepts and theories to clarify their chaining and relevance during each step of the invasion process. This temporal sorting of invasion concepts shows that each concept is relevant at a specific stage of the invasion. Concepts and empirical findings on non-native species may appear contradictory. However, we suggest that, when mapped onto an invasion timeline, they may be combined in a complementary way. An overall scheme is proposed to summarise the theoretical dynamics of ecosystems subjected to invasions. For any given case study, this framework provides a guide through the maze of theories and should help choose the appropriate concepts according to the stage of invasion.

Keywords: novel ecosystem; hybrid ecosystem; historical ecosystem; evolution; non-native populations; geographic expansion; invasiveness; invasibility; dispersal; phenotypic plasticity

Domains: Environmental Sciences

Olivier Chabrerie, François Massol, Benoit Facon, Romain Thevenoux, Manon Hess, et al.. Biological Invasion Theories: Merging Perspectives from Population, Community and Ecosystem Scales. In press. ⟨hal-02345539⟩