Non‐native species drive biotic homogenization, but it depends on the realm, beta diversity facet and study design: a meta‐analytic systematic review

Abstract

While reducing the species richness of invaded communities is a well-known consequence of biological invasions, non-native species can also reduce variability between communities over time (i.e. beta diversity) in a process known as biotic homogenization. Although biotic homogenization due to non-native species is a common topic of theoretical reviews, we believe no global meta-analysis on the effect of non-native species on beta diversity has been carried out yet. Here, we systematically show that non-native species drive biotic homogenization, but it depends on the realm, beta diversity facet and study design. Biotic homogenization was more intense in marine and freshwater ecosystems than in terrestrial ecosystems. We also found that non-native species reduced both taxonomic and phylogenetic beta diversity, but not the functional beta diversity. Finally, we observed more intense effects using 'before versus after invasion' followed by 'uninvaded versus invaded sites' while the effect size of studies using 'communities associated with native versus nonnative species' did not differ from zero. Our findings highlight that non-native species contribute to biotic homogenization as a prevalent pattern in communities worldwide, and that biodiversity conservation strategies should go beyond investigating the reduction in the number of species by also taking into account beta diversity in its multiple facets.

Latitudinal trends in the structure, similarity and beta diversity of plant communities invaded by Alternanthera philoxeroides in heterogeneous habitats

“…This may be because with an ongoing invasion, the phylogenetic relationships in the terrestrial A . philoxeroides community experience rapid convergent evolution, which increases community similarity, and a similar phenomenon has also been found in terrestrial invaded communities in India and North America ( Dar and Reshi, 2015 ; Stotz et al., 2016 ; Petsch et al., 2022 ). Compared to aquatic communities, terrestrial A .…”

“…Plant invasions usually facilitate species turnover and the homogenization of flora, thus reducing β diversity ( Yu et al., 2021 ; Petsch et al., 2022 ). In our study, the aquatic A .…”

Quantifying the ecological impacts of alien aquatic macrophytes: A global meta‐analysis of effects on fish, macroinvertebrate and macrophyte assemblages

“…Losses and expenditures associated with biological invasions are estimated to have cost the global economy US$1.288 trillion since 1970, and continue to mount (Diagne et al, 2021). Biological invasions often act synergistically with other anthropogenic stressors, replacing geographically restricted species with a small number of globally successful invaders and homogenising regional biotas (McKinney & Lockwood, 1999;Olden et al, 2018;Petsch et al, 2022). Such biotic homogenisation may be accelerated by invasional meltdown, wherein invasion by one alien species facilitates the invasion of other non-natives (Simberloff & Von Holle, 1999).…”

Biotic homogenisation and differentiation as directional change in beta diversity: synthesising driver–response relationships to develop conceptual models across ecosystems

“…dispersal, environmental filtering, biotic interactions) that affect local community composition and therefore beta diversity (Chase et al ., 2020; Heino et al ., 2015 b ). By contrast, a persistent theme in the evolving theory of biotic homogenisation is the emphasis on species invasions and concurrent extinctions of native species (Cardinale et al ., 2018; McGill et al ., 2015; Olden et al ., 2018; Petsch et al ., 2022). The emphasis on species invasions and extinctions in reports of directional change in beta diversity is possibly due to the framing of biotic homogenisation as being driven by ‘winner’ and ‘loser’ species (Dornelas et al ., 2019; McKinney & Lockwood, 1999).…”