Causes and consequences of plant invasions

The proliferation of invasive plants into native ecosystems is a major threat to biodiversity and ecosystem functioning on a global scale, a disturbance predicted to become more severe in the 21st century. To offset the adverse effects of invasive plants on ecosystem function and overall health, a fundamental understanding of the mechanisms by which plant invaders alter ecological communities and networks is essential. This research topic examines the effects of invasive plants on soil food webs. Here, I adopt a multidisciplinary framework, including a combination of meta-analyses, field experimentation, and Next-Generation DNA sequencing to profile soil microbial communities. So far, I have found that invasive plants can alter the function and structure of soil communities, with the effect being stronger for soil microbes than higher trophic levels (i.e., predators). Future research efforts will examine which invasive-plant traits are best predictors of invasion success and the re-structuring of soil food webs and associated functioning.

Representative publications

McCary, M.A., and D.H. Wise. 2019. Plant invader alters soil food web via changes to fungal resources. Oecologia 191: 587-599.

McCary, M.A., M. Zellner, and D.H. Wise. 2019. The role of plant-mycorrhizal mutualisms in deterring plant invasions: Insights from an individual-based model. Ecology and Evolution 9: 2018-2030.

McCary, M.A., R. Mores, M. Farfan, and D.H. Wise. 2016. Invasive plants have different effects on trophic structureof green and brown food webs in terrestrial ecosystems: a meta-analysis. Ecology Letters 19: 328-335.