Optimal differentiation to the edge of trait space (eots)
Abstract
The ecological and evolutionary processes that allow alien species to establish and dominate native communities (i.e., become invasive) have been a rich area of research. Past
areas of inquiry have included identifying the traits necessary to invade a community and/
or determining how phylogenetic relatedness of the introduced species with the resident
community can promote invasive success. Yet despite decades of research, little consensus exists about why particular species successfully invade native communities while others do not. Here we develop a conceptual framework for why only certain introduced species become invasive: optimal diferentiation to the edge of trait space (EoTS). We posit
that optimal diferentiation leading to successful invasion into a community requires that
the multi-dimensional trait space of the introduced species exists at the edge of the multidimensional trait space of the native community.