In theory, females that reproduce asexually should enjoy a twofold advantage in fitness over sexual females, yet sex remains the predominant mode of reproduction in virtually all eukaryotes. The evolutionary maintenance of sex is especially puzzling in clonal plants because the transition from sexual to exclusively asexual reproduction is an ever-present possibility in these species. In this ar...

This review of the human dimensions of invasive woody plants investigates the history and purposes of introductions, people’s perceptions of alien and invasive species and the impact of invasives on human activities. A perusal of the literature indicates that all aspects of the human dimensions of alien woody plants are highly varied and some are still poorly documented. Changes in the usage of...

Alien species can be a major threat to ecological communities, but we do not know why some community types allow the entry of many more alien species than do others. Here, for the first time, we suggest that evolutionary diversity inherent to the constituent species of a community may determine its present receptiveness to alien species. Using recent large databases from observational studies, ...

Developing generalisations of invasive species is an important part of invasion biology. However, trends and generalisations from one part of the world may not necessarily hold elsewhere. We present the first inventory and analysis of all Hymenoptera alien to New Zealand, and compare patterns from New Zealand with those previously published from Europe (DAISIE). Between the two regions there wa...

BACKGROUND Biogeographic patterns of species invasions hold important clues to solving the recalcitrant 'who', 'where', and 'why' questions of invasion biology, but the few existing studies make no attempt to distinguish alien floras (all non-native occurrences) from invasive floras (rapidly spreading species of significant management concern), nor have invasion biologists asked whether particu...

The introduction of alien species represents one the greatest threats to biodiversity worldwide. Highway construction increases dispersal and invasion exotic plant species. This study examined assembly process communities determine whether roadsides Patagonian steppe represent a reservoir source invasive We analyzed composition native functional groups present in established vegetation seed ban...

Crassocephalum crepidioides, Conyza canadensis, and Ageratum conyzoides are alien annuals naturalized in China, which produce a large number of viable seeds every year. They widely grow in Xishuangbanna, becoming troublesome weeds that compete with crops for water and nutrients. As seed germination is among the most important life-stages which contribute to plant distribution and invasiveness, ...