Unravelling the consequences and mechanisms of range expansions in plants by analysing aboveground-belowground ecological networks

Global change enables the expansion of plant ranges towards higher latitudes. Some range-expanding plants are becoming invasive in new territories, yet the drivers of their success remain elusive. I will examine how above- and below-ground interactions with fungi, bacteria, and invertebrates shape their success. To achieve this, I will explore the ecological network topology of these plant-associated organisms in their original and new ranges. I hypothesize that the interaction network structure of range-expanding plant species depends on their phylogenetic relatedness to the native plant community. In particular, I expect more distantly related range-expanders to form distinct network modules that, more detached from the native community, contribute to range expansion and potential invasion success. This project initiates novel ecological theory, establishing a direct link between coexistence networks and range expansions and sheds light on community-level implications of invasions.