Biodiversity theory applied to the real world of ecological restoration

One of the perceived benefits of biodiversity is resistance to invasion by exotic species. This has relevance for vegetation restoration: according to theory, sowing more species of the desired type would help to exclude the invasion of undesired ones. Oakley & Knox (Applied Vegetation Science, this issue) tested this in a real restoration situation: the revegetation of bare compacted clay after construction or commercial activity. Higher sown diversity did indeed reduce the invasion of non‐sown species and, of particular practical relevance, reduced the invasion of exotic species.