New research shows that two key causes of plant invasion - escape from natural enemies, and increases in plant resources - act in concert. This result helps to explain the dramatic invasions by exotic plants occurring worldwide. It also indicates that global change is likely to exacerbate invasion by exotic plants. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) ecologist Dana Blumenthal reached these conclusions after studying 243 European plant species and their fungal and viral pests. (source: sciencedaily.com)
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