Disturbance and invasion: Cause or consequence of rapid ecological transitions?

Invasions can lead to disturbances and rapid ecological transitions. Disturbances can permit invasions. Changes in disturbance regimes can also trigger invasions. Humans affect both disturbances and invasions. And all these changes interact. Confused yet?! In short, change begets change. Disentangling this complicated web of cause and consequence is essential if we are to understand and manage an increasingly perturbed and mixed-up world. We explore how plant communities respond to rapid changes in disturbance regimes, and identify both transient and persistent effects on community structure and invasion success.