Abstract
Alien species can have large impacts on ecosystems but their impact on polar ecosystem processes is poorly researched and thus not well understood. Polar ecosystems, especially those in Antarctica, include some of the most simplified food webs on Earth with only a few key species driving ecosystem processes. They are sensitive and vulnerable to invasion, with alien species likely to quickly seizing key roles and affect ecosystem functioning. Furthermore, established alien species may facilitate further establishment of others thereby creating a cascade of alien impacts, introducing novel traits for the ecosystem, and further changing these unique polar habitats. Although Arctic food webs are often more complex, similar principles apply, and potential impacts on ecosystem functioning are fundamental. Arctic tundra support massive soil carbon pools, whose mineralisation and release could be enhanced when aliens with novel traits invade. The aim of this study is to quantify impacts of alien vascular plants and mosses on ecosystem processes in the polar regions. In addition, we will assess the effect of climate warming on these alien impacts, and that of ‘invasion engineers’ that can facilitate alien establishment. This work will be achieved through a combination of laboratory and field translocation experiments utilising climate gradients along elevation. This robust comparison of the response of Arctic and Antarctic ecosystems to alien invasions will be one of the first to analyze in detail the impact of alien species on polar ecosystem functioning and service provision.
Netherlands