Woody native and exotic species respond differently to New Zealand dryland soil nutrient and moisture gradients
In many New Zealand dryland grass and shrubland areas, native and exotic woody species are invading, but it is unclear what environmental factors favour native dominance. One possibility is that differences in soil nutrients and moisture, or a combination of these factors, differentially affect the growth and hence invasive potential of native and exotic woody dryland species. We tested the prediction that native woody species outperform exotic woody species under low-nutrient and dry soil conditions.