Invasion Domino Effects in the Tropical Forest Plants

Abstract Invasive plants disrupt ecosystems by influencing species interactions, aiding co-invader integration, and worsening competition for native plants. Successful forest invasive species management relies on grasping these interaction patterns at the community level. This study aims to assess the community attributes of invasive plants in tropical forests of Northeast India, examining their dominance in various habitats and elucidating their species-specific effects on associated co-invaders and non-invasive groups. Dominant invaders identified based on density were tested for their presence or absence effects on the proportions of co-invading species, non-invasive species, and overall plant diversity. The present investigation recorded 101 invasive plant species mostly of neotropical origin, comprising of grasses, sedges, forbs, shrubs, trees, and vines. The findings revealed a substantial decrease in overall species diversity in the presence of dominant invasive species, further demonstrating a significant negative association with the non-invasive group and a notable positive association with the co-invasive group. These findings offer valuable insights by specifying the dominance and outcompeting nature of exotic invaders which will be very helpful for devising effective management plans to counter biotic invasion in the biodiversity rich tropical forested landscapes.