Can agricultural systems facing climate change benefit from a deeper understanding of invasive plant species?

Abstract

Agriculture is not only influenced by climate change, it is also threatened by the associated pressure of invasive alien species (IAS), resulting in a decline in the biodiversity of agricultural landscapes and a loss of productivity. The success of IAS under a wide range of environmental conditions is an indicator of their ability to establish and maintain long-lived populations despite varying abiotic and biotic constraints. In this analysis, we highlight the potential to increase the resilience of agriculture to climate change through advances in our knowledge of IAS. Monitoring the spread of IAS and understanding the mechanisms that allow them to tolerate various stresses, outcompete other species, and acquire nutrients in resource-limited environments could provide a basis for the genetic improvement of major food and forage crops, making them more resilient to climate change.