The Statesman Journal has a great article about how global warming is giong to impact invasive species in Oregon:
Invasive species by their nature are opportunistic," said Patty Glick, senior global warming specialist for the National Wildlife Federation. "If you have environments weakened by drought, often invasive species can take advantage of that situation. A lot of invasive species introduced into the United States are limited by some factor, usually temperature.
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There are instances where (in the Midwest, plains ecologies) mixed fallow fields full of mixed invasives/introduced species and native grasses had a huge boost by a drought. The invasives couldn't hack it and the natives bounced back just fine. Took many many years, but it was a factor that reduced the invasives permanently.
Not that this is always the case by any means, but it can, at least, work both ways.
After thinking about this, it's not a good example. What caused the correction to natives in those studies (which I could remember them, it was in an ecology class) was that there was a *temporary* drought , a few years worked best, then a return to normalcy.
With global warming, there probably won't be a return to normalcy, so this isn't a valid model for the situation.
bah
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