| Summary: | The impact of climate change on the germination and growth of invasive alien plants varies depending on the plant species and invasion process. We experimentally assessed the responses of the invasive alien plant <i>Acacia mearnsii</i> to future climate change scenarios—namely, elevated temperature as well as high and low rainfall. <i>Acacia mearnsii</i> was grown at an elevated air temperature (+2 °C), high rainfall (6 mm per day), and low rainfall (1.5 mm per day), and its germination and growth performance were measured over five months. We further examined changes in soil nutrients to assess if the above-mentioned climate change scenarios affected soils. Both elevated temperature and high rainfall did not influence <i>A. mearnsii</i> germination and seedling growth. In contrast, we observed reductions in <i>A. mearnsii</i> germination and growth in the low rainfall treatment, an indication that future drought conditions might negatively affect <i>A. mearnsii</i> invasion. We noted that elevated temperature and rainfall resulted in varied effects on soil properties (particularly soil C, N, Ca, and Mg content). We conclude that both elevated temperature and high rainfall may not enhance <i>A. mearnsii</i> invasion through altering germination and growth, but a decrease in <i>A. mearnsii</i> invasiveness is possible under low rainfall conditions.
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