Study Uncovers How Solanum rostratum Invades Native Ecosystems in Northern China

A new study led by Prof. SHAO Hua from the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has uncovered how the invasive weed Solanum rostratum spreads across northern China. Their work was published in Journal of Ecology on January 02.

The researchers conducted a large-scale survey spanning about 3,000 kilometers and 40 sites, analyzing how native plant composition, diversity, and grazing pressure affect invasion. Using a well-known ecological framework—the Competitor–Stress tolerator–Ruderal (CSR) theory—they decoded the plant’s survival “playbook.”

They found that Solanum rostratum consistently behaves as a strong competitor, outperforming native plants in resource capture. Yet it also flexibly shifts between stress tolerator and ruderal strategies depending on local conditions—adopting a “slow-and-steady” approach in stressful settings or a “quick-and-wide” spread in disturbed areas.

These shifts are shaped by the functional makeup of native plant communities. Grazing further alters the balance by reducing native diversity and weakening natural resistance, allowing the weed to invade both species-rich environments and highly disturbed, species-limited habitats.

“Our findings show that the invader’s ability to switch between endurance and rapid colonization—guided by native community traits and grazing—helps it breach ecological barriers across varied landscapes,” said Shi Kai, first author of the study.

This study underscores the role of functional strategy plasticity in invasion success and suggests that preserving diverse native plant communities could help ecosystems resist invasive species.

Read the full article: https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.70228

Contact

LONG Huaping

Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography

E-mail: longhp@ms.xjb.ac.cn

Web: http://english.egi.cas.cn