Exotic flower visitors exploit large floral trait spaces resulting in asymmetric resource partitioning with native visitors

Exotic flower visitors in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park exploit a broader range of floral traits compared to native species, leading to asymmetric resource partitioning. This study quantified the exploited floral trait space (ES) for 40 plant species and their visitors using dynamic range boxes, revealing that exotic visitors have larger ES, particularly in scent emission, while native visitors are absent from exotic plants. The asymmetry in resource use suggests a competitive advantage for exotics, potentially threatening Hawaiian ecosystems by reducing resources for natives and accelerating declines of native species.

Kuppler, J., Höfers, M. K., Trutschnig, W., Bathke, A. C., Eiben, J. A., Daehler, C. C., & Junker, R. R. (2017). Exotic flower visitors exploit large floral trait spaces resulting in asymmetric resource partitioning with native visitors. Functional Ecology, 31(12), 2244–2254. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.12932