Abstract:

Aims: The negative impacts of light pollution, resulting from excessive artificial light at night (ALAN), on various organisms and ecological processes, have garnered significant attention. However, the impact of ALAN on the frequency of invasive alien plants and its effects on plant community composition and the growth performance of both invasive alien and native species remain poorly understood. 

Methods: We carried out a field investigation in Changchun City to compare areas with and without ALAN exposure, focusing on the frequency of invasive alien plants, the composition, and biodiversity of both invasive alien and native plant communities, as well as the average plant height and relative coverage of these plants. 

Results: We found that: (1) ALAN did not significantly influence the frequency of invasive alien plants; (2) While ALAN did not significantly affect the diversity of invasive alien and native plant communities, it significantly increased the richness of invasive alien plants; (3) ALAN significantly enhanced the average height and relative cover of invasive alien plants and decreased the relative cover of native plants, but had no significant effect on the average height of native plants. 

Conclusions: These results suggest that ALAN may further bolster the competitive advantage of invasive alien plants and increase their invasion risk. Therefore, future management strategies for plant invasion should incorporate ALAN as a potential contributing factor.

Key words: artificial light at night, urban vegetation, alien plant invasion, plant diversity, plant growth