Ecosystem Disturbance as a Niche Construction Strategy for Invasive Species

Many invasive species establish uniquely, or with particular success, in disturbed ecosystems. We propose that for an invasive species, ecosystem disturbance may thus constitute an adaptive strategy of niche construction. Accordingly, a species’ propensity to induce large-scale ecosystem change is likely to increase not only its expected damage as an invasive species but also its success as one. We suggest that this perspective, focusing on ecosystem-disturbing feedback mechanisms driven by invasive species, may be instrumental in understanding and predicting invasive species’ dynamics. It complements the common view, which focuses on the effects of invasion dynamics and the respective ecosystem changes on the native species and which typically views these changes as collateral consequences of the invasion. Our perspective highlights invasives-driven ecosystem alterations as potential drivers of the invasion, and it emphasizes the potential importance of indirect benefits to the invasive that are brought about by the ecosystem disturbance and its cascading effects.