Resource-use efficiency and plant invasion in low-resource systems

Native species might be expected to outperform invasive species on their home turf. This way of thinking has become a component of many strategies for the control of invasive species and the restoration of native ecosystems by manipulation of resource availability. But a study of the fates of 19 phylogenetically related pairs of invasive/native plant species shows that the invaders tend to be more efficient than native species at using limiting resources. This work calls into question any management strategy that relies on lowering resource availability with the intention of favouring the growth of native species.