Growth traits of the exotic plant Hydrocotyle vulgaris and the evenness of resident plant communities are mediated by community age, not species diversity

Summary Biological invasions are determined by interactions between resident plant communities and exotic plants. Time of invasion and species diversity of resident plant communities may greatly affect exotic plant invasions. We assembled low‐ and high‐diversity resident plant communities by sowing seeds of four and eight grassland species, respectively, and at each of three time periods (1, 4 and 7 weeks after sowing), the resident communities...