The role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in exotic plant invasion

The invasion success of exotic plants is largely determined by their invasiveness, which is influenced by soil abiotic properties and soil biota. Among these, arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF) can symbiosis with more than 80% of terrestrial plants and may be crucial to the successful invasion of exotic plants. Although many studies indicated that AMF can enhance the growth and competitiveness of invasive plants, some studies have also reported that AMF does not actually increase the invasiveness of invasive plants, and even inhibits it. This inconsistency is frequently attributed to the interactions between AMF and soil abiotic properties, especially soil nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus, which significantly affect the symbiotic relationship between AMF and host plants. Here, we summarize the common hypothesis on invasion mechanisms, the relationship between AMF and host plants, the AMF's role in plant invasion, the control of invasiveness by soil abiotic properties, the interaction between AMF and soil abiotic properties, which benefits our understanding for the prevention and control of exotic invasive plants and the remediation of the soil at the invaded site.