土壤微生物对不同种源乌桕生长的影响

【背景】土壤微生物对植物成功入侵具有重要影响,研究中国本地土壤微生物对美国入侵种乌桕的净生长效应有利于进一步理解乌桕成功入侵的机理。【方法】以本地和入侵2个种源多个种群的乌桕为试验材料,通过对土壤进行灭菌处理,研究土壤微生物对不同种源乌桕幼苗生长的影响。【结果】土壤微生物对入侵种乌桕具有正效应,与本地种相比,入侵种乌桕幼苗总生物量、相对生长速度、根冠比以及总叶面积、叶面积比、比叶面积等生物学指标在新鲜土壤中均表现出明显优势。种源和土壤处理间存在交互效应的指标显示土壤微生物去除对入侵种乌桕的抑制作用更为明显。这一结果与土壤自然天敌逃逸假说相背,入侵种乌桕在一定程度上具有较本地种更强的土壤微生物利用能力,在非根际土壤微生物的作用下入侵种乌桕具有较强的生长能力和明显的竞争优势。【结论与意义】本研究证实土壤微生物可能对乌桕成功入侵具有不可忽略的作用。由于该试验在乌桕起源地进行,结合在乌桕入侵地进行的研究有助于进一步分析土壤微生物对入侵的贡献作用;研究土壤微生物与入侵植物的互作关系有助于对入侵物种进行准确预测和有效控制,减少生物入侵对生态系统功能的破坏。     

Interactions between resource availability and enemy release in plant invasion

Understanding why some exotic species become invasive is essential to controlling their populations. This review discusses the possibility that two mechanisms of invasion, release from natural enemies and increased resource availability, may interact. When plants invade new continents, they leave many herbivores and pathogens behind. Species most regulated by enemies in their native range have the most potential for enemy release, and enemy regulation may be strongest for high-resource species. High resource availability is associated with low defence investment, high nutritional value, high enemy damage and consequently strong enemy regulation. Therefore, invasive plant species adapted to high resource availability may also gain most from enemy release. Strong release of high-resource species would predict that: (i) both enemy release and resources may underlie plant invasion, leading to potential interactions among control measures; (ii) increases in resource availability due to disturbance or eutrophication may increase the advantage of exotic over native species; (iii) exotic species will tend to have high-resource traits relative to coexisting native species; and (iv) although high-resource plants may experience strong enemy release in ecological time, well-defended low-resource plants may have stronger evolutionary responses to the absence of enemies.     

Differences in Competitive Ability between Plants from Nonnative and Native Populations of a Tropical Invader Relates to Adaptive Responses in Abiotic and Biotic Environments

The evolution of competitive ability of invasive plant species is generally studied in the context of adaptive responses to novel biotic environments (enemy release) in introduced ranges. However, invasive plants may also respond to novel abiotic environments. Here we studied differences in competitive ability between Chromolaena odorata plants of populations from nonnative versus native ranges, considering biogeographical differences in both biotic and abiotic environments. An intraspecific competition experiment was conducted at two nutrient levels in a common garden. In both low and high nutrient treatments, C. odorata plants from nonnative ranges showed consistently lower root to shoot ratios than did plants from native ranges grown in both monoculture and competition. In the low nutrient treatment, C. odorata plants from nonnative ranges showed significantly lower competitive ability (competition-driven decreases in plant height and biomass were more), which was associated with their lower root to shoot ratios and higher total leaf phenolic content (defense trait). In the high nutrient treatment, C. odorata plants from nonnative ranges showed lower leaf toughness and cellulosic contents (defense traits) but similar competitive ability compared with plants from native ranges, which was also associated with their lower root to shoot ratios. Our results indicate that genetically based shifts in biomass allocation (responses to abiotic environments) also influence competitive abilities of invasive plants, and provide a first potential mechanism for the interaction between range and environment (environment-dependent difference between ranges).     

外来入侵植物对本地植物菌根真菌的影响及其机制

菌根真菌共生是植物吸收养分的一个重要策略。外来植物可以干扰本地植物与菌根真菌的共生关系从而抑制本地植物生长, 这是近年来被发现的一种重要入侵机制, 在研究中得到日益广泛的关注。该文从以下几个方面着重综述这种入侵机制: 1)外来植物对本地植物菌根真菌的影响, 包括菌根真菌侵染率、菌根内部结构、根外菌丝的量、菌根真菌的群落组成、非菌根真菌的影响及网络结构; 2)外来植物对本地植物菌根真菌上述影响的机制, 包括资源竞争、化感作用和土壤肥力等生态机制以及相关的分子机制; 3)上述两个方面随入侵时间的变化格局。尽管干扰本地植物菌根真菌是一种重要的入侵机制, 但相对其他的入侵机制(例如天敌逃逸、新武器假说等)来说, 这类机制的研究目前仍很匮乏。鉴于此, 该文提出了未来需要重点关注的几个方面: 1)全球变化背景下, 入侵植物对本地植物菌根真菌的影响如何变化; 2)包括这种菌根机制在内的多种入侵机制之间的关系; 3)深入探究入侵的这种菌根机制在大的时空尺度上的变化规律。     

A review on the effects of invasive plants on mycorrhizal fungi of native plants and their underlying mechanisms

菌根真菌共生是植物吸收养分的一个重要策略。外来植物可以干扰本地植物与菌根真菌的共生关系从而抑制本地植物生长, 这是近年来被发现的一种重要入侵机制, 在研究中得到日益广泛的关注。该文从以下几个方面着重综述这种入侵机制: 1)外来植物对本地植物菌根真菌的影响, 包括菌根真菌侵染率、菌根内部结构、根外菌丝的量、菌根真菌的群落组成、非菌根真菌的影响及网络结构; 2)外来植物对本地植物菌根真菌上述影响的机制, 包括资源竞争、化感作用和土壤肥力等生态机制以及相关的分子机制; 3)上述两个方面随入侵时间的变化格局。尽管干扰本地植物菌根真菌是一种重要的入侵机制, 但相对其他的入侵机制(例如天敌逃逸、新武器假说等)来说, 这类机制的研究目前仍很匮乏。鉴于此, 该文提出了未来需要重点关注的几个方面: 1)全球变化背景下, 入侵植物对本地植物菌根真菌的影响如何变化; 2)包括这种菌根机制在内的多种入侵机制之间的关系; 3)深入探究入侵的这种菌根机制在大的时空尺度上的变化规律。     

Little evidence for release from herbivores as a driver of plant invasiveness from a multi‐species herbivore‐removal experiment

Enemy release is frequently posed as a main driver of invasiveness of alien species. However, an experimental multi‐species test examining performance and herbivory of invasive alien, non‐invasive alien and native plant species in the presence and absence of natural enemies is lacking. In a common garden experiment in Switzerland, we manipulated exposure of seven alien invasive, eight alien non‐invasive and fourteen native species from six taxonomic groups to natural enemies (invertebrate herbivores), by applying a pesticide treatment under two different nutrient levels. We assessed biomass production, herbivore damage and the major herbivore taxa on plants. Across all species, plants gained significantly greater biomass under pesticide treatment. However, invasive, non‐invasive and native species did not differ in their biomass response to pesticide treatment at either nutrient level. The proportion of leaves damaged on invasive species was significantly lower compared to native species, but not when compared to non‐invasive species. However, the difference was lost when plant size was accounted for. There were no differences between invasive, non‐invasive and native species in herbivore abundance. Our study offers little support for invertebrate herbivore release as a driver of plant invasiveness, but suggests that future enemy release studies should account for differences in plant size among species.     

The global invasion success of Central European plants is related to distribution characteristics in their native range and species traits

Aim Determining which traits predispose a species to become invasive is a fundamental question of invasion ecology, but traits affect invasiveness in concert with other factors that need to be controlled for. Here, we explore the relative effects of biological traits of plant species and their distributional characteristics in the native range on invasion success at two stages of invasion. Location Czech Republic (for native species); and the world (for alien species). Methods The source pool of 1218 species of seed plants native to Central Europe was derived from the flora of the Czech Republic, and their occurrence in 706 alien floras all over the world was recorded, distinguishing whether they were listed as an ‘alien’ or a ‘weed’ in the latest version of Randall’s ‘Global compendium of weeds’ database. The latter type of occurrence was considered to indicate species ability to invade and cause economic impact, i.e. a more advanced stage of invasion. Using the statistical technique of regression trees, we tested whether 19 biological traits and five distributional characteristics of the species in their native range can be used to predict species success in two stages of invasion. Results The probability of a species becoming alien outside its native distribution range is determined by the size of its native range, and its tolerance of a wide range of climates acquired in the region of origin. Biological traits play only an indirect role at this stage of invasion via determining the size of the native range. However, the ability of species to become a weed is determined not only by the above characteristics of native distribution, but also directly by biological traits (life form and strategy, early flowering, tall stature, generative reproduction, number of ploidy levels and opportunistic dispersal by a number of vectors). Species phylogenetic relatedness plays only a minor role; it is more important at the lowest taxonomic levels and at the later stage of invasion. Main conclusion The global success of Central European species as ‘weeds’ is determined by their distributional characteristics in the native ranges and by biological traits, but the relative importance of these determinants depends on the stage of invasion. Species which have large native ranges and are common within these ranges should be paid increased attention upon introductions, and the above biological traits should be taken into account in screening systems applied to evaluate deliberate introductions of alien plants to new regions.     

Release from natural enemies mitigates inbreeding depression in native and invasive Silene latifolia populations

Inbreeding and enemy infestation are common in plants and can synergistically reduce their performance. This inbreeding ×environment (I × E) interaction may be of particular importance for the success of plant invasions if introduced populations experience a release from attack by natural enemies relative to their native conspecifics. Here, we investigate whether inbreeding affects plant infestation damage, whether inbreeding depression in growth and reproduction is mitigated by enemy release, and whether this effect is more pronounced in invasive than native plant populations. We used the invader Silene latifolia and its natural enemies as a study system. We performed two generations of experimental out‐ and inbreeding within eight native (European) and eight invasive (North American) populations under controlled conditions using field‐collected seeds. Subsequently, we exposed the offspring to an enemy exclusion and inclusion treatment in a common garden in the species’ native range to assess the interactive effects of population origin (range), breeding treatment, and enemy treatment on infestation damage, growth, and reproduction. Inbreeding increased flower and leaf infestation damage in plants from both ranges, but had opposing effects on fruit damage in native versus invasive plants. Inbreeding significantly reduced plant fitness; whereby, inbreeding depression in fruit number was higher in enemy inclusions than exclusions. This effect was equally pronounced in populations from both distribution ranges. Moreover, the magnitude of inbreeding depression in fruit number was lower in invasive than native populations. These results support that inbreeding has the potential to reduce plant defenses in S. latifolia, which magnifies inbreeding depression in the presence of enemies. However, future studies are necessary to further explore whether enemy release in the invaded habitat has actually decreased inbreeding depression and thus facilitated the persistence of inbred founder populations and invasion success.     

Root plasticity of native and invasive Great Basin species in response to soil nitrogen heterogeneity

Soil nutrients are heterogeneously distributed in natural systems. While many species respond to this heterogeneity through root system plasticity, little is known about how the magnitude of these responses may vary between native and invasive species. We quantified root morphological and physiological plasticity of co-occurring native and invasive Great Basin species in response to soil nitrogen heterogeneity and determined if trade-offs exist between these foraging responses and species relative growth rate or root system biomass. The nine study species included three perennial bunchgrasses, three perennial forbs, and three invasive perennial forbs. The plants were grown in large pots outdoors. Once a week for 4 weeks equal amounts of ¹⁵NH₄ ¹⁵NO₃ were distributed in the soil either evenly through the soil profile, in four patches, or in two patches. All species acquired more N in patches compared to when N was applied evenly through the soil profile. None of the species increased root length density in enriched patches compared to control patches but all species increased root N uptake rate in enriched patches. There was a positive relationship between N uptake rate, relative growth rate, and root system biomass. Path analysis indicated that these positive interrelationships among traits could provide one explanation of how invasive forbs were able to capture 2 and 15-fold more N from enriched patches compared to the native grasses and forbs, respectively. Results from this pot study suggest that plant traits related to nutrient capture in heterogeneous soil environments may be positively correlated which could potentially promote size-asymmetric competition belowground and facilitate the spread of invasive species. However, field experiments with plants in different neighbor environments ultimately are needed to determine if these positive relationships among traits influence competitive ability and invader success.     

Interactive effects of habitat productivity and herbivore pressure on the evolution of anti-herbivore defense in invasive plant populations

The evolution of increased competitive ability (EICA) hypothesis predicts that plants released from natural enemies should evolve to become more invasive through a shift in resource allocation from defense to growth. Resource availability in the environment is widely regarded as a major determinant of defense investment and invasiveness, and thus should be incorporated into the conceptual framework of EICA. Analysis of a simple model from the optimal defense literature demonstrates that, in contrast to the EICA hypothesis, enemy release is neither sufficient nor necessary for evolution of reduced resistance among introduced plants when habitat productivity co-varies. In particular, if the invasive range is more nutrient-poor than the native range, there could be selection for more plant defenses even with enemy release.     

Climate warming affects biological invasions by shifting interactions of plants and herbivores

Plants and herbivorous insects can each be dramatically affected by temperature. Climate warming may impact plant invasion success directly but also indirectly through changes in their natural enemies. To date, however, there are no tests of how climate warming shifts the interactions among invasive plants and their natural enemies to affect invasion success. Field surveys covering the full latitudinal range of invasive Alternanthera philoxeroides in China showed that a beetle introduced for biocontrol was rare or absent at higher latitudes. In contrast, plant cover and mass increased with latitude. In a 2‐year field experiment near the northern limit of beetle distribution, we found the beetle sustained populations across years under elevated temperature, dramatically decreasing A. philoxeroides growth, but it failed to overwinter in ambient temperature. Together, these results suggest that warming will allow the natural enemy to expand its range, potentially benefiting biocontrol in regions that are currently too cold for the natural enemy. However, the invader may also expand its range further north in response to warming. In such cases where plants tolerate cold better than their natural enemies, the geographical gap between plant and herbivorous insect ranges may not disappear but will shift to higher latitudes, leading to a new zone of enemy release. Therefore, warming will not only affect plant invasions directly but also drive either enemy release or increase that will result in contrasting effects on invasive plants. The findings are also critical for future management of invasive species under climate change.     

Rapid evolution of Medicago polymorpha during invasion shifts interactions with the soybean looper

The Enemy Release Hypothesis posits that invasion of novel habitats can be facilitated by the absence of coevolved herbivores. However, a new environment and interactions with unfamiliar herbivores may impose selection on invading plants for traits that reduce their attractiveness to herbivores or for enhanced defenses compared to native host plants, leading to a pattern similar to enemy release but driven by evolutionary change rather than ecological differences. The Shifting Defense Hypothesis posits that plants in novel habitats will shift from specialized defense mechanisms to defense mechanisms effective against generalist herbivores in the new range. We tested these ideas by comparing herbivore preference and performance of native (Eurasia)‐ and invasive (New World)‐range Medicago polymorpha, using a generalist herbivore, the soybean looper, that co‐occurs with M. polymorpha in its New World invaded range. We found that soybean loopers varied in preference and performance depending on host genotype and that overall the herbivore preferred to consume plant genotypes from naïve populations from Eurasia. This potentially suggests that range expansion of M. polymorpha into the New World has led to rapid evolution of a variety of traits that have helped multiple populations become established, including those that may allow invasive populations to resist herbivory. Thus, enemy release in a novel range can occur through rapid evolution by the plant during invasion, as predicted by the Shifting Defense Hypothesis, rather than via historical divergence.     

Living with the enemy: parasites and pathogens of the ladybird <Emphasis Type="Italic">Harmonia axyridis</Emphasis>

Harmonia axyridis is an invasive alien predator in many countries across the world. The rapid establishment and spread of this species is of concern because of the threat it poses to biodiversity as a generalist predator. Understanding the mechanisms that contribute to the success of this species as an invader is not only intriguing but also critical to our understanding of the processes governing such invasions. The enemy release hypothesis (ERH) could explain the rapid population growth of many invasive alien species. However, empirical evidence in support of the ERH is lacking. An alternative hypothesis that could explain rapid population growth is evolution of increased competitive ability (EICA). Here we provide an overview of the parasites and pathogens of coccinellids with a particular focus on H. axyridis as a host. We examine the differential susceptibility of host species and highlight the resilience of H. axyridis in comparison to other coccinellids. We recognise the paucity and limitations of available information and suggest that studies, within a life-table framework, comparing life history traits of H. axyridis in both the native and introduced ranges are necessary. We predict that H. axyridis could benefit from both enemy release and EICA within the introduced range but require further empirical evidence.     

Invasive plants do not display greater phenotypic plasticity than their native or non‐invasive counterparts: a meta‐analysis

Phenotypic plasticity is commonly considered as a trait associated with invasiveness in alien plants because it may enhance the ability of plants to occupy a wide range of environments. Although the evidence of greater phenotypic plasticity in invasive plants is considerable, it is not yet conclusive. We used a meta‐analysis approach to evaluate whether invasive plant species show greater phenotypic plasticity than their native or non‐invasive counterparts. The outcome of such interspecific comparisons may be biased when phylogenetic relatedness is not taken into account. Consequently, species pairs belonged to the same genus, tribe or family. The meta‐analysis included 93 records from 35 studies reporting plastic responses to light, nutrients, water, CO₂, herbivory and support availability. Contrary to what is often assumed, overall, phenotypic plasticity was similar between invasive plants and native or non‐invasive closely related species. The same result was found when separate analyses were conducted for trait plasticity to nutrients, light and water availability. Thus, invasive plant species and their native or non‐invasive counterparts are equally capable of displaying functional responses to environmental heterogeneity. The colonization of a wide range of environments by invasive plants could be due to their capacity to undergo adaptive ecotypic differentiation rather than to their ability to display plastic responses. Alternatively, phenotypic plasticity might play a role in plant invasion, but only during the initial phases, when tolerance of the novel environment is essential for plant survival. Afterwards, once alien plants are identified as invaders, the magnitude of phenotypic plasticity might be reduced after selection of the optimum phenotypes in each habitat. The identification of plant traits that consistently predict invasiveness might be a futile task because different traits favor invasiveness in different environments. Approaches at the local scale, focusing on the ecology of specific invasive plants, could be more fruitful than global macro‐analyses.     

植物功能性状与外来植物入侵

揭示影响外来植物入侵性的功能性状及其生态机制是入侵植物生态学的核心任务之一。本文综述了植物功能性状与外来植物入侵性的研究进展, 通过分析植物功能性状对外来植物入侵的贡献以及外来植物的不同入侵阶段对其功能性状的需求, 探讨植物功能性状与外来植物入侵的相关性及其入侵机理。迄今研究较多的影响外来植物入侵性的功能性状主要包括形态性状、生长性状、生理性状、繁殖性状、种子性状、克隆性状、表型可塑性和遗传变异等。这些功能性状对外来植物入侵的贡献随着入侵阶段的不同而变化。在传播到达阶段, 种子性状对入侵具有重要影响; 在定居建群阶段, 与植物抗逆性和适应性相关的生理性状和繁殖性状发挥主要作用; 在扩散入侵阶段, 克隆性状和影响植物竞争能力的生理性状对植物成功入侵具有重要贡献。由于植物入侵性是其功能性状和环境因素互作的结果, 且功能性状的作用随环境因素和入侵阶段不同而异, 因此, 结合外来植物入侵阶段, 并考虑功能性状与环境因子的互作, 是入侵生物学中植物功能性状研究的发展趋势。     

入侵植物的生理生态特性对碳积累的影响

随着国际贸易的发展和人们交往的增加以及全球环境的变化,生物种类在全球扩散的机会也大大增加,从而为生物入侵创造了机会。生物入侵不仅给农林牧生产造成损失,而且具有长期的生态学效应。外来种的成功入侵不是其自身某一个特性决定的,而是其特性与新的生境综合作用的结果。外来入侵种生理生态特性的研究对其预测和防治具有重要的意义。目前对入侵种生理生态特性的研究较少。已有的研究表明,与本地种相比入侵种可能通过提高光合能力、资源利用率、表型可塑性、化感作用,以及降低繁殖成本等增加植株碳积累,促进其入侵。但并不是所有的入侵种都同时具有这些特性。生境不同限制性资源不同,入侵机制就不同。成功的入侵种应该能够高效地利用生境中的限制性资源,并且能够较快地调节自身的生理特性以适应波动的资源环境。     

The Impacts of Above- and Belowground Plant Input on Soil Microbiota: Invasive <Emphasis Type="Italic">Spartina alterniflora</Emphasis> Versus Native <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phragmites australis</Emphasis>

Invasive plants affect soil food webs through various resource inputs including shoot litter, root litter and living root input. The net impact of invasive plants on soil biota has been recognized; however, the relative contributions of different resource input pathways have not been quantified. Through a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial field experiment, a pair of invasive and native plant species (Spartina alterniflora vs. Phragmites australis) was compared to determine the relative impacts of their living roots or shoots and root litter on soil microbial and nematode communities. Living root identity affected bacteria-to-fungi PLFA ratios, abundance of total nematodes, plant-feeding nematodes and omnivorous nematodes. Specifically, the plant-feeding nematodes were 627% less abundant when living roots of invasive S. alterniflora were present than those of native P. australis. Likewise, shoot and root biomass (within soil at 0–10 cm depth) of S. alterniflora was, respectively, 300 and 100% greater than those of P. australis. These findings support the enemy release hypothesis of plant invasion. Root litter identity affected other components of soil microbiota (that is, bacterial-feeding nematodes), which were 34% more abundant in the presence of root litter of P. australis than S. alterniflora. Overall, more variation associated with nematode community structure and function was explained by differences in living roots than root or shoot litter for this pair of plant species sharing a common habitat but contrasting invasion degrees. We conclude that belowground resource input is an important mechanism used by invasive plants to affect ecosystem structure and function.     

Growth‐form and spatiality driving the functional difference of native and alien aquatic plants in Europe

Trait‐based approaches are widely used in community ecology and invasion biology to unravel underlying mechanisms of vegetation dynamics. Although fundamental trade‐offs between specific traits and invasibility are well described among terrestrial plants, little is known about their role and function in aquatic plant species. In this study, we examine the functional differences of aquatic alien and native plants stating that alien and native species differ in selected leaf traits. Our investigation is based on 60 taxa (21 alien and 39 native) collected from 22 freshwater units of Hungarian and Italian lowlands and highlands. Linear mixed models were used to investigate the effects of nativeness on four fundamental traits (leaf area, leaf dry matter content, specific leaf area, and leaf nitrogen content), while the influence of growth‐form, altitude, and site were employed simultaneously. We found significantly higher values of leaf areas and significantly lower values of specific leaf areas for alien species if growth‐form was included in the model as an additional predictor.We showed that the trait‐based approach of autochthony can apply to aquatic environments similar to terrestrial ones, and leaf traits have relevance in explaining aquatic plant ecology whether traits are combined with growth‐forms as a fixed factor. Our results confirm the importance of traits related to competitive ability in the process of aquatic plant invasions. Alien aquatic plants can be characterized as species producing soft leaves faster. We argue that the functional traits of alien aquatic plants are strongly growth‐form dependent. Using the trait‐based approach, we found reliable characteristics of aquatic plants related to species invasions, which might be used, for example, in conservation management.     

潮虫消耗木本植物凋落物的可选择性试验

近年来,越来越多的学者关注外来植物入侵对土壤生态功能的影响效应及其相应反馈机制的探索与研究,然而本地原生土壤生物群落对不同入侵程度下的外来植物种以及本地原生植物种之间是否存在消耗差异却尚不明了.通过等足目潮虫的选择性喂养试验来测试10个本地种、5个非入侵性外来种和5个强入侵性外来种之间的适口性差异,试图求证外来植物的入侵性是否与植物落叶被消耗率呈现必然联系.数据分析结果显示潮虫对本地种、非入侵性外来种和入侵性外来种的消耗并无显著差异;而潮虫对不同生活型下木本植物的取食却存在显著差异,即灌木消耗率显著高于乔木.其次,通过植物初始性状指标(包括木质素、纤维素、半纤维素、碳、氮含量)与相应消耗率的相关比较,消耗量总体上与植物凋落物的氮含量呈正相关关系(R2 =0.358).由此,研究结论强调植物落叶的降解速率并不一定与植物入侵性或入侵阶段呈绝对相互关连,但是氮含量,抑或各种形式的植物氮元素成分都可能在一定程度上参与并影响着外来植物的入侵进程.     

Functional traits,growth patterns,and litter dynamics of invasive alien and co-occurring native shrub species of chir pine forest in the central Himalaya,India

Across the continents, plant invasion is identified as one of the main threats to ecosystem functioning and stability. The main objective of this research was to evaluate the differences in the functional traits between invasive alien (Ageratina adenophora (Spreng.) and Lantana camara L.) and native (Berberis asiatica Roxb. Ex DC., Pyracantha crenulata (D. Don.) M. Roemer and Rubus ellipticus Sm.) shrub species of chir pine (Pinus roxburghii Sarg.) forest in the central Himalaya. Three 0.5 hectare chir pine forest stands were selected and individuals of similar diameter were tagged for comparative studies of leaf traits, growth pattern, and biomass accumulation in structural organs of each invasive alien and native species. Our one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s post hoc test results showed that both the invasive alien species have significantly (p?<?0.05) higher SLA, LWC, total chlorophyll content, foliar nutrient (N and P), RGR, LMR, SMR, nutrient uptake, and nutrient use efficiencies than native species. Leaf litter decomposition rate and nutrient release were also significantly (p?<?0.05) higher in both the invasive alien species. Native species, R. ellipticus, shared some of the traits, such as leaf area, chlorophyll content, RGR, LAR, LMR, and nutrient uptake efficiency with invasive alien species. The majority of traits differed among invasive alien and native species, implying that the success of invasive alien species is best described by being functionally distinct from native species. These findings indicate that invasive alien species had advanced functional traits which may be playing an important role in a rapid spread in the central Himalaya.