Data from: Influence of community connectivity and genetic diversity of an exotic consumer on invasion success in metacommunities

Genetic diversity of potentially invasive exotic species has been theorized to lead to increased invasion success. However, empirical work investigating this relationship is extremely limited, especially in the context of metacommunity connectivity. Native community connectivity may mitigate the effects of invasion, but such protective effects of dispersal may also vary with the level of genetic diversity exhibited by the invader. Here, a fully factorial mesocosm experiment was employed to evaluate the effects of invader genetic diversity and native community connectivity on invasion success and native community structure using freshwater zooplankton as a model system. Daphnia lumholtzi was selected as a model invader due to its known invasion potential and amenability to isogenic culture in the laboratory. Invasion treatments included an uninvaded control, low (1 genotype), moderate (4 genotypes), and high (12 genotypes) levels of genetic diversity, while connectivity treatments included a no native species control, isolated communities, and communities connected to a natural metacommunity through weekly introductions of zooplankton. Community connectivity, rather than genetic diversity of the invader, was found to have the strongest effect on invasion success, native community composition, and native community response to invasion. However, future experimental work with a broad range of taxa and varying degrees of propagule pressure will be necessary to determine the extent to which these results may be generalized.