Abstract

Biological invasions are a major driver of ecosystem change but causes of variation in their environmental impacts over space and time remain poorly understood. Most approaches used to quantify the impacts of non-native species assume there are interactions among per capita (i.e. individual level) effects, species abundance and the area occupied by the species. However, studies rarely evaluate these factors and their interactions and often fail to recognize that the magnitude of impacts can be highly context dependent. Understanding what drives the context dependence of non-native species impacts can improve our understanding and predictions of ecosystem change and better inform options for mitigation.