Shifting the paradigm: The role of introduced plants in the resiliency of terrestrial ecosystems to climate change

Current ecological communities are in a constant state of flux from climate change and from species introductions. Recent discussion has focused on the positive roles introduced species can play in ecological communities and on the importance of conserving resilient ecosystems, but not how these two ideas intersect. There has been insufficient work to define the attributes needed to support ecosystem resilience to climate change in modern communities. Here, I argue that non-invasive, introduced plant species could play an important role in supporting the resilience of terrestrial ecosystems to climate change. Using examples from multiple taxonomic groups and ecosystems, I discuss how introduced plants can contribute to ecosystem resilience via their roles in plant and insect communities, as well as their associated ecosystem functions. I highlight the current and potential contributions of introduced plants and where there are critical knowledge gaps. Determining when and how introduced plants are contributing to the resilience of ecosystems to climate change will contribute to effective conservation strategies. In this perspective, I argue that we need to rethink the way we consider introduced plants in the resiliency of ecosystems to climate change. Given the ability of introduced species to tolerate and adapt to a broad range of environmental conditions, I suggest that introduced plants may fulfill a similar functional role as native plants that have been lost and/or provide a critical role that cannot (yet) be performed by 'local' native plant species. I propose that we need a clearer picture of the complex roles that introduced species play in our ecosystems and how they respond to climate change.image