Determinants of native and non‐native plant community structure on an oceanic island (original) (raw)

Understanding the relative importance of environmental and anthropogenic factors in driving plant community structure, including relative dominance of native and non‐native species, helps predict community responses to biological invasions. To assess factors influencing plant communities on San Clemente Island, USA, we conducted an islandwide vegetation survey in which we measured plant species richness and percent cover of native and non‐native plants, as well as physical environmental variables, soil chemical properties, abundance of soil microbial functional groups (e.g., arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi [AMF]), and a human disturbance variable (distance to road). We found that total plant species richness decreased with increasing non‐native plant cover, soil pH, and AMF abundance. Native plant cover increased with increasing distance to a major paved road and decreased with increasing soil moisture and pH. Non‐native plant cover decreased with increasing distance to a major paved r...