This study employs functional diversity metrics and guilds—suites of species with similar traits—to assess the influence of an invasive tree (Tamarix spp.) on riparian plant communities in the southwestern United States. Nine distinct guilds were identified with a gradient of functional diversity related to both tamarisk cover and environmental conditions. The identified guilds can be correlated to specific site conditions and can be used to anticipate plant community response to restoration efforts and in selecting appropriate species for revegetation.
Henry, A.L., González, E., Bourgeois, B. et al. Invasive tree cover covaries with environmental factors to explain the functional composition of riparian plant communities. Oecologia 196, 1139–1152 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-021-04990-z.