Research on the belowground effects of invasive plants to date has focused on the soil microbial community but has largely neglected indirect impacts on higher trophic levels. Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata), a widespread invader of North American forests, has been documented to reduce mycorrhizal fungal abundance (both arbuscular and ectomycorrhizal), which form the base of major energy channel for soil arthropods. Recent evidence (Chapter 3) suggests these changes in fungal resources can impact bottom-up control, resulting in fewer fungivores in invaded areas and altered fungivore-predator interactions. However, the previous conclusions may have been confounded by pre-existing environmental conditions since they were based on a natural
