In our latest article published in the Journal of Vegetation Science, we used data from our regionally representative survey conducted in grasslands and fallow lands in Kiskunság to test our hypothesis.
We examined the coexistence of two invasive plant species common in Kiskunság with other species, and tested two alternative hypotheses: (1) if limited similarity is the dominant process determining coexistence, then less similar species are more likely to associate with the invasive species studied, or (2) if environmental filtering is more important, then more similar species are more likely to associate.
Our results suggest that in the case of the perennial invasive species, common milkweed (pictured), similarity of characteristics influences community composition. In contrast, in the case of the annual Canadian hogweed, the association of coexisting species is more random.
