Determining the drivers of non-native plant invasions is critical for managing native ecosystems and limiting the spread of invasive species. Tree invasions in particular have been relatively overlooked, even though they have the potential to transform ecosystems and economies. Here, leveraging global tree databases, we explore how the phylogenetic and functional diversity of native tree communities, human pressure and the environment influence the establishment of non-native tree species and the subsequent invasion severity. We find that anthropogenic factors are key to predicting whether a location is invaded, but that invasion severity is underpinned by native diversity, with higher diversity predicting lower invasion severity. Temperature and precipitation emerge as strong predictors of invasion strategy, with non-native species invading successfully when they are similar to the native community in cold or dry extremes. Yet, despite the influence of these ecological forces in determining invasion strategy, we find evidence that these patterns can be obscured by human activity, with lower ecological signal in areas with higher proximity to shipping ports. Our global perspective of non-native tree invasion highlights that human drivers influence non-native tree presence, and that native phylogenetic and functional diversity have a critical role in the establishment and spread of subsequent invasions.

Fil: de Miguel, Sergio Ruben. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto de Investigaciones en Catálisis y Petroquímica "Ing. José Miguel Parera". Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto de Investigaciones en Catálisis y Petroquímica "Ing. José Miguel Parera"; Argentina. Universidad de Lleida; España

Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Santa Cruz. Universidad Tecnológica Nacional. Facultad Regional Santa Cruz. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Santa Cruz. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Santa Cruz; Argentina

Fil: Reich, Peter B.. University of Minnesota; Estados Unidos. Western Sydney University; Australia. University of Michigan; Estados Unidos

Fil: Maynard, Daniel S.. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich; Suiza. University College London; Estados Unidos

Fil: Abegg, Meinrad. Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research; Suiza

Fil: Araujo Murakami, Alejandro. Museo de Historia Natural Noel kempff Mercado; Bolivia

Fil: Alberti, Giorgio. Università di Udine; Italia. Free University of Bolzano; Italia

Fil: Alvarez Dávila, Esteban. Universidad Nacional Abierta y A Distancia (unad);

Fil: Zohner, Constantin M.. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich; Suiza