Meyerson co-authors study on how invasives fare better with latitude changes
LSU ecologist James Cronin and colleague Laura Meyerson from the University of Rhode Island conducted an ambitious large-scale study on the native and invasive species of reed, Phragmites australis, in North America and Europe funded by the National Science Foundation. They found that the intensity of plant invasions by non-native species can vary considerably with changes in latitude.
"When looking at a continental scale invasion in particular, we can't assume that the invasion is uniform across the region because of latitudinal differences in species interactions like herbivore pressure and resistance to herbivory," said Meyerson, URI associate professor of habitat restoration ecology. "Some biogeographic regions may be more susceptible to invasions while others are more resistant.
Therefore it is important to look at invasions at a macro scale, such as for an entire continent, in order to accurately interpret the invasion process and the strength of its impacts.
