Effects of diversity and temporal stability of native communities on the biomass of invasive species Solidago canadensis

Aim: Elton’s foundational ideas on “diversity-invasibility” and “diversity-stability” relationships have long been central to ecological research, yet the link between these concepts remains largely unexplored. It remians unclear whether diversity reduces invasions by enhancing community temporal stability, and thereby making stability a primary mechanism by which diversity resists invasion. Methods: We conducted an in situ experiment at the Shanghai Urban Biodiversity Education Base to simulate the invasion processes by transplanting Solidago canadensis seedlings into native herbaceous communities. We then measured the biomass of the invader, to assess the relationship between species diversity, phylogenetic diversity, temporal stability, canopy closure of the native communties, and the growth performance of the invader. Results: We found that both species diversity and phylogenetic diversity of native communities, particularly when assessed by cover-weighted measures, were generally positively correlated with invader biomass. These diversity measures also generally showed a positive correlation with the temporal stability of native communities. However, invader biomass was not significantly related to community temporal stability but was negatively related to canopy closure. Structural equation modeling indicated that higher diversity and lower canopy closure of native communities increased invader biomass, and the positive relationship between diversity and invader biomass offset the potential negative effect of diversity on invasion by enhancing temporal stability. Conclusions: This study elucidates that species diversity and phylogenetic diversity, along with temporal stability, can exert complex influences on community invasibility, providing new insights into the mechanisms underlying the “diversity-invasibility” relationship.