Unravelling the extent and impacts of plant invasion in the last pristine landscapes of Europe: the role of species interactions

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Biological invasions of anthropogenic origin pose significantthreats to biodiversity. Studies on their drivers and impactshave grown exponentially in the past 30 years, yet most ofthese tend to focus on a single set of invaders and a limitednumber of drivers. Moreover, mountain regions remainunderstudied despite the establishment of multiple invasivespecies at increasingly higher elevations under risinganthropogenic pressures and climate change. Surprisingly,we still know very little about how climate change, humandisturbance, and interspecific biotic interactions mediatemultiple invasions and their effects on native communities.In particular, co-occurring invaders may facilitate spread,eventually leading to "invasion meltdown".Novelty and timelinessA long-term monitoring project was recently established inthe Ukrainian Carpathian Mountains to meet this challenge.This highly biodiverse region is home to the mostsignificant remaining old-growth and virgin forest in Europe.Unfortunately, the region is also experiencing increasedlevels of invasion by alien species, flooding disturbance isincreasing under climate change, and growing humanactivity is altering habitats. Despite these multiplepressures, the spatiotemporal drivers and biodiversityimplications of the ongoing spread of multiple species intoprotected areas remain largely unknown.ObjectivesWe aim to answer two main research questions: How doabiotic factors locally determine the multiple-invasionsuccess and its effect on native species? How do bioticinteractions between invasive and native species impede orfacilitate invasion dynamics? This PhD will address thesequestions by combining field studies in the CarpathianMountains with cutting edge population modellingtechniques. The student will be embedded within a largermonitoring project, offering an opportunity to pursuealternative lines of research as their interests develop.