Native‐range habitats of invasive plants: are they similar to invaded‐range habitats and do they differ according to the geographical direction of invasion?

Abstract Aim Habitat types are involved in shaping biological traits of their resident native species and thus they determine, to a large extent, in which habitats particular species will succeed if invading outside their native range. However, the correspondences between habitats that invasive aliens occupy in the native and invaded ranges are poorly known. We explore the relationships between (1) habitats of invasive species in their native and invaded ranges and (2) native‐range habitats and the direction of invasion (from/to Europe; from/to the Old World). Location Global. Methods Descriptions of native‐ and invaded‐range habitats of 286 invasive species were extracted from the literature and transformed into 12 habitat types. The differences between native‐range habitats according to the direction of invasion and between habitats occupied in the native and invaded ranges were tested by log‐linear models and deletion tests. Results Most frequent invaders were species confined to forests (98 species), riparian habitats (80), grasslands (80) and man‐made habitats (73) in their native ranges. Native‐range habitats differed between species invading from and to Europe (110 and 41, respectively) as well as between species invading from and to the Old World (213 and 75, respectively). Grasslands were the most overrepresented native‐range habitat for species invading from Europe compared to species invading Europe; wetlands were the most overrepresented native‐range habitats for species invading the Old World compared to species invading from the Old World. Many species that originated from forests invade grasslands, and, conversely, many grassland species invade open forests. Main conclusions European grassland species are much more successful as world‐wide invaders than grassland species from other continents invading Europe, and New World wetland species invading the Old World are more successful than wetland species invading from the Old World. Successful invaders are adapted to a broad spectrum of successional phases ranging from grasslands to forests.