Continental rain forest fragments in Singapore resist invasion by exotic plants

Abstract

Aim: In general, the plant communities of oceanic islands suffer more from exotic plant invasions than their continental equivalents. At least part of this difference may be contributed by differences in non-biological factors, such as the antiquity and intensity of human impacts and the absence of internal barriers to dispersal, rather than differences in inherent invasibility. We tested the resistance of species-rich continental rain forests to plant invasion on a small, continental island that has been subject to prolonged and intensive human impact. Location: Singapore is a 683-km2 equatorial island