Abstract
There has been a considerable amount of research on the particular species traits that might determine why an introduced plant species can establish and become invasive. This information is of great value as it can be used as an important component of risk assessment to screen lists of species for introduction (e.g. for gardening, reforestation, biofuel) to identify those that have the potential to become invasive.
The general pattern is that invasive plant species are larger and have higher relative growth and physiological rates than non-invasive plants (van Kleunen, Weber, & Fischer 201 O). Are these also plant traits that confer greater ecological impacts on the invaded ecosystem? Not necessarily.
It is already well accepted that plant success at different invasion stages from introduction to spread are driven by diff erent factors.