Non-native trees are of major importance in forestry and urban greening
but are controversially discussed with regard to their effects on native
biodiversity. Existing literature reports positive as well as negative
biodiversity effects of non-native trees. Geographic, climatic and
phylogenetic distance between the non-native and native tree species are
named as important factors shaping these biodiversity effects. However,
studies with a large geographic and taxonomic coverage are missing. Here
we tested the effects of geographic, climatic and phylogenetic distance
on resident insect abundance and diversity for 77 native and non-native
tree species in a common garden trial. We identified phylogenetic
distance of tree species to be the main driver of insect abundance and
diversity with a negative effect of increasing phylogenetic distance and
stronger effects for phytophagous than for non-phytophagous insects.
This highlights the necessity to account for phylogenetic history shared
between native and non-native congeners when managing non-native trees.