The development of a root system early in the spring may allow the plant to access available resources that are unavailable to dormant species. Through the acquisition of these available resources, the exotic plant may then become established in the ecosystem. Naturalization refers to a species that is more or less in equilibrium with the other plants in the community. If a species invades an ecosystem and does not expand its range within that ecosystem, it might be considered 'naturalized. However, naturalization may only be a short term phenomenon.
Facilitation can occur when a disturbance alters the community.
Following the disturbance, the exotic species may then begin to invade larger areas. Facilitation helps to complete the invasion cycle by allowing the species to disperse seeds and establish plants in new areas. Finally, the process of succession can affect the invasion cycle by altering the availability of resources over time. The change in species composition from a simple plant community composed of a few colonizing species to more complex plant communities over time is called succession. Succession is driven by stressors or disturbance, which can affect the availability of resources available to plants.