Interactions of native seedlings with non-native plants for restoration in degraded ecosystems with Mediterranean climate

Restoration of native vegetation in South-Western Australia is often hampered by the presence of invasive species. I investigated the effects of nurse saplings, time of seedling emergence and nutrient availability on the interaction between native and invasive seedlings. Nurse saplings inhibited emergence of native seedlings but favoured their survival. Delayed emergence of invasive seedlings benefited native seedlings. The competitive ability of native seedlings was suppressed by the addition of nutrients. Larger seed size can in some cases provide an advantage to native species competing with non-native species.