It is unclear to me whether you might mean "adapted" as in co-evelved somehow, or just are asking whether a non-native plant could possibly have positive effects on a native plant. Both are certainly possible, though positive ecological interaction based on their already existing traits is probably more likely. A non-native plant could facilitate native plants in any number of ways that coexisting species can interact, such as increasing the shade or moisture of a site or out competing other plants which might have stronger negative effects on the native plant etc. It would be best to think about the natural history of the plants you are interested in to see if that might be a possibility, but overall, removing non-natives is probably a good thing.

Like Benjamin said, the best thing you can do is remove the alien plan species. And of course, you can have a positive interaction with both species, so they can coexist without problem, BUT it doesn't mean that the alien plant will not affect the ecosystem, because maybe it is poisonous to some animal, or another plant, etc. in the other hand it can be a radical specie that can finish with your native specie, so is very dangerous to leave it there.

The first thing you need to see is if that specie grows fast or not, if is strong with the climatical conditions you have there, and if it is, remove it as soon as possible! because maybe it will cause you a very big problem. If its not... remove it anyway!! because you don't know how it will behave with the conditions you have there.

Good luck! :)

I agree that your question needs to be stated a little bit more clearly. I interpret your question to relate to restoration of the native habitat, maybe?

In that sense I disagree with Alejandro that "the best this you can do is remove the alien plant." In an invaded system the removal of, for instance, an invasive canopy species can open up the understory for much more significant invasion, and cause more harm to the native species than good. In response to your question I would not say that the native species are adapted to the invasive species, but they are adapted to a specific type of habitat and the invasive species may be producing that habitat....absent their presence the native species might not be able to survive without first re-establishing a native species to take their place. In this sense I agree with Benjamin that it is not that the species are adapter to each other, simply that they are adapted to existing traits.

Dear Prishnee

Your question is very case-realted. Invasive species can have many differing interactions with native species, or whole plant communities (including facilitation). You called the species "invasive", therefore I assume, you observed a kind of negative effect. Still I completely agree with Noa, and would be very careful with any type of control-removal actions. High disturbance in habitat can make it inadequate for the species you want to protect, or can trigger further invasion of other species. For now, I can only advise you to learn about the ecology of both species and try to find out what is the impact of the invader, especially on the protected species, and what are the consequences of removing or keeping the invader on the give site

good luck!

Thank you gentlemen and Agnieszka for your insightful responses. They've helped to shed light on my doubts and even brought about new perspectives I hadn't pondered over yet. Thank you.

For management of invasive alien species there are two major actions, either you have discovered its invasion early enough, then you can go for removing it before it spreads. If it has become widely spread , you may look for remedial measures. This is where you look for its interaction with other native species, a species or two that may benefit from being in the vicinity of the IAS.

Hello Prishnee Bissessur

In the environment right now, introduction of foreign species would somehow affect the environment either positively or negatively.

The effect may also be correlated to how it affects the native species. I believe there are two possibilities:

1. The most common one happens, which is the foreign species will have a negative effect such that is is toxic to the native species or to some animals inhabiting that ecosystem. This, in return, would disrupt the balance of that ecosystem. This means then that removal of the alien species would be the only solution.

2. In some possible way, the native species is able to cope with the alien species. This may be due to many factors: non-toxic effects of alien species, compensation of the native species, indirect apparent competition: through a third species i.e. animal. However, this change may have to be gradual to give way for evolution to happen.

Generally, however, introduction of alien species would create a major change in that certain ecosystem; hence the optimal option is for it to be removed as it might disrupt balance and stability

I hope this helps! :)

The first thing to be determined is whether the alien species are really 'invasive'. It is difficult to determine it at an early stage, especially for the tree species in a forest ecosystem.

Removal of the invasive herbs and shrubs as well as the seedlings and saplings of the tree species could definitely be an option. At the same time, it is to be kept in mind that usually the alien species utilize those ecosystem resources which have not been utilized by the native species. Thus they build their own niche and get an edge over the native species.

The removal of these species will obviousy result into soil degradation which will facilitate the spatio-temporal expansion of the alien species at a faster rate thereby aggrevating the problem. Control burning could be one option as practised in different parts of the world. Implementing suitable agro-forestry techniques would be helpful to restore the degraded soil.

As far as adaptation is concerned, it may occur only when genetic changes will take place in the native species. Hence, ex-situ conservation of the native species at the initial stage followed by their proper re-introduction at a rate higher than the rate of invasion could help to check the problem.

Till now, there is no evidence at least where the native species adapted fast enough to outcompete the growth and spatio-temporal eapansion of the alien invasive species.

Any exotic species of plant that can become naturalized, that is grow without human help, within any native ecosystem, is going to be a major problem and the native plants will not have time to adapt. Instead the native plants will go "Spatially Extinct" which means every square meter occupied by the new exotic plant will permanently cause the extinction of the native species that formerly occupied that spot. That is what we have been watching occur all over the State of California in the last 200 years with over 1,000 species of exotic plants introduced.

Along with the native plants going Spatially Extinct, most of the co-evolved native insects and animals will also go Spatially Extinct, but that is also where you might see some adaptation--like the California harvester ant changing from harvesting native Stipa grass seeds for food, and shifting to a Stipa seed-mimic, the exotic filaree (Erodium) seeds which are actually higher in protein.