Adaptive Features of Invasive Plant Species in Pakistan's Native Ecosystems: Mechanisms and Implications

Abstract

Invasive plant species pose significant threats to Pakistan's native ecosystems, impacting biodiversity, agricultural productivity, and ecosystem functioning. This comprehensive review examines the morphological, physiological, and reproductive traits that facilitate successful invasion across various habitats in Pakistan. By analyzing functional trait diversity across multiple invasive species, we demonstrate how rapid resource acquisition and phenotypic plasticity enable these plants to establish and dominate in disturbed and natural environments. Our synthesis integrates findings from diverse ecological regions across Pakistan, from the semi-arid plains of Punjab to the mountainous terrain of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The review reveals that invasive species in Pakistan, including Parthenium hysterophorus, Xanthium strumarium, and Malvastrum coromandelianum, exhibit traits such as higher growth rates, efficient water-use strategies, and allelopathic capabilities that provide competitive advantages over native flora. Furthermore, we explore how climate change projections indicate potential expansion of invasive species into new regions, necessitating urgent management strategies. These findings contribute to our understanding of invasion mechanisms in subtropical regions and provide critical insights for developing evidence-based management approaches to mitigate the ecological and economic impacts of plant invasions in Pakistan. The economic implications of these invasions are substantial, with estimated agricultural losses exceeding $500 million annually due to reduced crop yields and increased management costs. This review synthesizes data from 47 field studies conducted between 2015-2024, providing the most comprehensive assessment to date of plant invasion mechanisms in Pakistan.