Old fields are diverse forb-dominated ecosystems transitioning into woody-dominated forestedecosystems.
However, the susceptibility of old fields to high levels of plant invasion can lead to the co-occurrence of multiple non-native invasive plant species at the fine-scale of plant neighborhoods,which can alter native species co-occurrence patterns and successional trajectories into forest communities.
Community disassembly by invasive species occurs when the presence of one or more invaders shifts co-occurrence patterns of native species from structured to random.
Disassembly can imply a loss of existing co-evolved interactions among native species, which has ramifications for community dynamics and trajectories of invaded ecosystems.
Here, we quantify relationships among multiple invasive plant species and two indicators of community succession in old-field plant communities in East Tennessee: co-occurrence patterns of native and non-native species and successional trajectories.
First,we examine how biotic and abiotic factors shape the abundance of invasive species, as well as native and invasive functional groups across old fields.
Second, we ask whether invasive species influenceco-occurrence patterns among native species and whether invasive species are associated with altered herbaceous:woody foliar cover ratios.