Global Homogenisation of Plant Communities Along Mountain Roads by Non-Native Species Despite Mixed Effects at Smaller Scales

Aim

Mountain ecosystems are experiencing increased invasion of non-native plants. These increases in non-native species put mountains at risk of biotic homogenisation and a reduction of biodiversity. Our study aims to test if non-native plant species are contributing to biotic homogenisation along roadways in mountain regions and how this changes along elevation gradients and across spatial scales.

Location

18 globally distributed mountain regions.

Time Period

2012–2023.

Major Taxa Studied

Vascular plants.

Methods

We used standardised vegetation surveys including species cover from 18 mountain regions worldwide to analyse whether the addition of non-native species to the native flora increased or decreased Bray–Curtis dissimilarity (i.e., beta-diversity) among roadside plant communities along elevation gradients ranging from 15 to 3919 m a.s.l. We tested this at the local, regional, continental and global scales using mixed-effects models and confirmed it using null models.

Results

In the New World, we mainly observed homogenisation across regions and scales, as beta-diversity was mostly lower with the addition of non-native species. This was particularly true for low elevations. In contrast, we predominantly found community differentiation in the Old World, specifically at smaller (i.e., local and regional) scales. At the global scale, communities became more similar through the addition of non-native species at all elevations.

Main Conclusions

Large-scale homogenisation might be interpreted as a signal that high-elevation plant communities along roadways may become more similar as non-native species continue to spread upwards. Future studies should investigate the mechanisms driving the observed patterns of both homogenisation and differentiation by non-native species, and explore the potential consequences of these patterns for ecosystem function and resilience.