Data and R codes for Shi et al. Strategic dynamics in response to grazing and biotic resistance facilitate successful invasion of a widespread invader, Solanum rostratum, in northern China

The role of functional strategies in mediating invasion success has been extensively investigated, yet how the plasticity of these strategies enables invaders to thrive and maintain their dominance under various environmental and community contexts remains poorly understood. Here, we explored the invasion mechanisms of Solanum rostratum across a 3,000 km invasion gradient in northern China under Grime’s competitor, stress tolerator, and ruderal (CSR) framework. While S. rostratum consistently exhibited a higher investment in C-strategy compared to native species, it demonstrated plastic shifts between S- and R- strategies. These strategic shifts were primarily influenced by the CSR strategy and species composition of native communities, which selected for greater strategic divergence between S. rostratum and native species. Grazing also modulated these shifts by altering the phylogenetic and functional compositions of native communities. By increasing its strategic divergence from native competitors, S. rostratum may persist in species diverse native community and capitalize on transient nutrient pulses created by disturbances. Our findings challenged the traditional notion of a fixed invasion syndrome, revealing dynamical changes across space and invasional stages. This underscores the critical importance of considering the dynamics of invasion syndrome in future research, providing a more nuanced and comprehensive understanding of the processes driving invasion success.

功能策略在介导入侵成功过程中的作用已得到广泛研究，但这类策略的可塑性如何使入侵物种在多样的环境与群落背景下繁盛生长并维持优势地位，目前仍缺乏充分认知。本研究依托格里姆（Grime）的竞争-胁迫耐受-杂草（CSR）策略框架，针对中国北方3000公里的入侵梯度，探究了刺萼龙葵（Solanum rostratum）的入侵机制。相较于本土物种，刺萼龙葵始终表现出更高的C策略（竞争策略）投入，但其在S策略（胁迫耐受策略）与R策略（杂草策略）间存在可塑性转变。这类策略转变主要受本土群落的CSR策略特征与物种组成调控，进而扩大刺萼龙葵与本土物种间的策略分化程度。放牧亦可通过改变本土群落的系统发育与功能组成，对这类策略转变起到调控作用。通过提升与本土竞争者的策略分化，刺萼龙葵或可在物种多样的本土群落中存续，并利用扰动引发的暂时性养分脉冲资源。本研究结果挑战了“固定的入侵综合征”的传统观点，揭示了入侵过程在空间尺度与入侵阶段上的动态变化。这强调了在未来研究中纳入入侵综合征动态维度的重要性，为理解驱动入侵成功的核心过程提供了更为精细且全面的认知视角。