Trait differentiation and climatic stress moderate native-invader coexistence

This project investigates how climate change and invasive species together reshape plant communities. While extreme temperatures and drought directly stress plants, equally important are the indirect effects -- such as shifts in which species thrive, decline, or gain a competitive edge over others. Using a large outdoor experiment that manipulates temperature and rainfall over the course of two growing seasons and the functional composition of the plants within a community, this study will test how competition outcomes depend on species’ functional traits (like height, leaf structure, or seed size) and on differences in the climate in which they compete. By measuring plant growth, reproduction, and resource use across a wide range of climate conditions, the research aims to test a general framework for predicting when and how native and invasive species will coexist or replace each other under future climates.