Question

4. When can foundation species increase the success of invasive species?

Answer 1

• Foundation species occupy a stronger position in a community.
• Foundation species might be a producer or a herbivore or a carnivore.
• Thus foundation species could be seen at all the levels of a food web.
• Invasive species if ever over compete a foundation species, then success of invasive species becomes stabilized at first and then leading to gradual extinction of foundation species.
• Invasive species becomes superior competitor by making if self inedible to local herbivores.
• These invasive species could able to adopt and grow in the areas with low ground water availability, high toxic soils, low nutrient soils where any other native species cannot grow.
• These non local, invasive species also make their surroundings unsuitable for the growth of other native species by producing certain chemical compounds and releasing them into the nearby soil, water making unfavorable for the growth of local species. This process is known as facilitation.
• When the lowest bottom like herbivorous foundation species gets excluded from the niche due to over competition from the invasive species, the total food web gets changed facilitating growth of invasive species.