Biogeography of island floras in the Great Lakes. II. Plant dispersal

1989 ◽  
Vol 67 (6) ◽  
pp. 1803-1820 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. K. Morton ◽  
E. H. Hogg
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Alien Species ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Species Dispersal ◽  
Alien Plant ◽  
Plant Dispersal ◽  
Alien Flora ◽  
Nesting Sites

Experimental and observational data were used to determine the adaptations for dispersal in each of the 335 vascular plant species in the flora of Barrier Island, a typical limestone island in the Great Lakes. Most have adaptations for more than one mode of dispersal. Adaptations for dispersal by water were found in 211 species (63% of the flora), and by birds in 205 species (61% of the flora); only 22 species (6.5% of the flora) do not appear to have effective adaptations for dispersal by either of these means. The other three modes of dispersal to these islands are by wind (14% of plant species), dispersal across snow and ice (10%), and by man (6%). Alien species (23% of the flora) show greater dependence on birds (85% of the alien species) and man (12% of the alien species) for dispersal than do native species (54 and 5%, respectively). Sea gulls, particularly the Herring Gull (Larus delawarensis Ord.), are the major factor in the introduction of the alien flora. The heavily disturbed habitats created in the nesting sites of both Herring and Ring-billed (Larus argentatus Pontoppidan) gulls favour the persistence of many alien plant species on these islands.

scholarly journals Non-native species in the vascular flora of highlands and mountains of Iceland

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pawel Wasowicz
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Hot Springs ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Plant Colonization ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Alien Plant ◽  
Alien Flora ◽  
Central Highland

Highlands and mountains of Iceland (defined here as areas located above 400 m a.s.l) are considered to be the largest remaining wilderness areas in Europe. The present study provides first comprehensive and up-to-date data on non-native plant species from this area. The study was aimed to provide a checklist of alien plant species recorded from highland and mountain areas of Iceland, assess their naturalisation status, define spatial patterns and hotspots of their distribution and analyse temporal trends in the data. The presence of 18 non-native vascular plant species was evidenced including 13 casuals and 5 naturalised taxa (1 invasive). The results showed that the central highland is most vulnerable to alien plant colonisation, while mountain and highland areas in other parts of the country are much less impacted by non-native plant taxa. Clear hotspots of occurrence of alien flora can be defined and their geographic location corresponds to places of touristic interest such as hot springs, geothermal areas, mountain huts and shelters as well as main roads and tracks. Temporal trends characterizing non-native plant colonization show clearly that the process is still in its initial phase. The research suggests that human-mediated dispersal is the major force contributing to increased invasion risk within the investigated area.

scholarly journals Non-native species in the vascular flora of highlands and mountains of Iceland

PeerJ ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e1559 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pawel Wasowicz
Keyword(s):  
Alien Species ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Hot Spots ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Plant Colonization ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Alien Plant ◽  
Vascular Plant Species

The highlands and mountains of Iceland are one of the largest remaining wilderness areas in Europe. This study aimed to provide comprehensive and up-to-date data on non-native plant species in these areas and to answer the following questions: (1) How many non-native vascular plant species inhabit highland and mountainous environments in Iceland? (2) Do temporal trends in the immigration of alien species to Iceland differ between highland and lowland areas? (3) Does the incidence of alien species in the disturbed and undisturbed areas within Icelandic highlands differ? (4) Does the spread of non-native species in Iceland proceed from lowlands to highlands? and (5) Can we detect hot-spots in the distribution of non-native taxa within the highlands? Overall, 16 non-native vascular plant species were detected, including 11 casuals and 5 naturalized taxa (1 invasive). Results showed that temporal trends in alien species immigration to highland and lowland areas are similar, but it is clear that the process of colonization of highland areas is still in its initial phase. Non-native plants tended to occur close to man-made infrastructure and buildings including huts, shelters, roads etc. Analysis of spatio-temporal patterns showed that the spread within highland areas is a second step in non-native plant colonization in Iceland. Several statically significant hot spots of alien plant occurrences were identified using the Getis-Ord Gi* statistic and these were linked to human disturbance. This research suggests that human-mediated dispersal is the main driving force increasing the risk of invasion in Iceland’s highlands and mountain areas.

scholarly journals Alien flora of Oman: invasion status, taxonomic composition, habitats, origin, and pathways of introduction

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annette Patzelt ◽  
Petr Pyšek ◽  
Jan Pergl ◽  
Mark van Kleunen
Keyword(s):  
Alien Species ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Plant Invasions ◽  
Taxonomic Composition ◽  
Alien Plant Species ◽  
Alien Plant ◽  
Alien Flora ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Status Assessment

AbstractWe present the first inventory and status assessment of the alien flora of Oman, mainly based on field data collected from 1998 to 2021. The study provides (i) a comprehensive account of alien vascular plant species occurring in the wild in Oman, with information on their taxonomic composition. For each species information is given on (ii) invasion status (casual, naturalized or invasive), biogeography, habitat and life-form characteristics, and pathways of introduction. Further, we (iii) explain the differences in the alien species composition in different parts of the country, and (iv) analyse the drivers of plant invasions in Oman. Out of the 111 alien species reported (7.7% of the total Oman vascular flora), 34 species are casuals and 77 naturalized; of the latter seven are considered invasive. The moderate number of alien plant species is likely a result of the country’s arid climate, with extremely high summer temperatures and low annual precipitation in most of its area, and the relatively long isolation of the country. The families richest in alien plant species are Fabaceae (17 species), Asteraceae (14 species) and Poaceae (12 species). More alien plants were found in northern Oman (82 species) than in southern Oman (60 species), and very few species are recorded from the central desert (7 species). The main habitats colonized were man-made habitats, either ruderal or agricultural. Most species alien to Oman are native to South America (49 species) or North America (43 species). This inventory provides a knowledge base for developing a national management strategy for alien vascular plants in Oman.

scholarly journals Alien plant invasions in Mediterranean habitats: an assessment for Sicily

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Riccardo Guarino ◽  
Milan Chytrý ◽  
Fabio Attorre ◽  
Flavia Landucci ◽  
Corrado Marcenò
Keyword(s):  
Alien Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Plant Invasions ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Habitat Specificity ◽  
Alien Plant ◽  
Alien Flora ◽  
The Impact

AbstractLevels of plant invasions in different habitat types were assessed in several regional studies, but few of them were from the Mediterranean. Here we compare the levels of vascular plant invasion across habitats and plant communities of Sicily. We used a large dataset of plant species presences/absences in vegetation plots to analyze the invasion patterns across habitats considering biogeography, life form and phenology of alien plants. Vegetation plots were classified based on the EUNIS classification of European habitats. The invasiveness of each species was expressed in terms of its absolute and percentage frequency. Representation of different life forms and phenological patterns was compared between alien and native species. The fidelity of alien species to individual habitats was calculated using the phi coefficient. Our analysis shows that annual and woody species are the most represented life forms in the alien flora of Sicily and that alien species tend to have a longer flowering period than the native species. The investigated habitats differed strongly in their level of invasion by alien species, ranging from 0 to 15.6% of aliens of all species recorded. Most of the habitats were colonized by very few alien species or completely lacked them, except for sandy coasts, naturally-disturbed riverbeds, and synanthropic habitats. It must be noted, however, that the number of alien species occurring in a given habitat does not relate to the severity of the impact of invasion in that habitat. Some habitats are invaded by few (or single) species, which attain a high cover, transforming the whole ecosystem. The habitat-based approach proved to be suitable for evaluating the habitat specificity and frequency of alien species at a regional scale, improving the capacity for risk assessment in different ecological contexts.

scholarly journals ILORA: A database of alien vascular flora of India

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vidushi Pant ◽  
Chinmay Patwardhan ◽  
Kshitij Patil ◽  
Amiya Ranjan Bhowmick ◽  
Abhishek Mukherjee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Information Exchange ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Plant Invasions ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
Alien Plant Species ◽  
Alien Plant ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Alien Flora

Plant invasions pose an unprecedented threat to biodiversity and ecosystems at different spatial scales, especially for a biodiversity-rich developing nation like India. While country-level checklists are considered as the first step for effective management of plant invasions, databases having biological and ecological attributes of these plant species are of paramount importance for facilitating research activities and developing policy interventions concerning alien plant invasion in a country or region. Though checklists with the names and basic details of alien plant species are available for India, a database aggregating attributes relevant to the understanding of the invasion continuum is lacking. We have curated data for 13 variables related to ecology, biogeography, introduction history, socio-economy and environmental niche of 1747 alien vascular plant species from 22 national and global sources to produce the Indian Alien Flora Information (ILORA) version 1.0 database. This paper describes the detailed methodology of curating these data along with the logic behind selecting these variables to be included in the database. The database, first of its kind for the Indian alien flora, will provide easy access to high quality data, offer a ready reference to comprehend the existing scenario of alien plant species in the country and provide opportunities to identify, scrutinize and prioritize the management of these species. The database is dynamic and will be continuously updated with the availability of new data. It has the provision for bidirectional information exchange with the users, which will allow increasing the resolution of the database as well as the expansion of its capacity. All data will be associated with the source information and ILORA will encourage users to refer to the primary sources to give the contributors full credit and acknowledgement. The database is, therefore, envisaged to become a nationwide collaborative platform for a wide spectrum of stakeholders involving the scientific community, citizens, and policymakers. ILORA is freely accessible via an online data repository as well as through a dedicated website (https://ilora2020.wixsite.com/ilora2020).

scholarly journals The occurrence of alien species in the settlement areas of the Kampinos National Park and its vicinity (Central Poland)

2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-90
Author(s):  
Izabella Kirpluk ◽  
Anna Bomanowska
Keyword(s):  
Alien Species ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
National Park ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Impatiens Glandulifera ◽  
Alien Plant ◽  
Lupinus Polyphyllus ◽  
Bidens Frondosa ◽  
Settlement Areas

Abstract Studies aimed at the identification of the range and method of spread of alien plant species in settlement areas in Kampinos National Park (KNP) and its immediate vicinity were carried out in years 2012-2014. Special emphasis was put on surveying the sites of invasive alien species (IAS), and diagnosing potential threats posed to the natural and semi-natural vegetation of the national park by the IAS present in rural areas. We found 53 alien vascular plant species, including 40 invasive taxa which may potentially pose a threat to the ecosystems of KNP. Species encroaching from settlement areas to semi-natural and natural communities included: Bidens frondosa, Echinocystis lobata, Impatiens glandulifera, I. parviflora, Juncus tenuis, Lupinus polyphyllus, Reunoutria japonica and Solidago gigantea. Most of them were species from the highest invasiveness (IV and III) classes in Poland. Similarity analysis carried out for all investigated localities with regard to all alien species, and only for invasive ones showed a clear division into separate groups: villages within the boundaries of the national park and villages outside the park.

scholarly journals Improving Checklists of Alien Plants with Digitised Herbarium Collections: The Example of D.R. Congo (Africa)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farzaneh Bordbar ◽  
Pierre Meerts
Keyword(s):  
Alien Species ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Sampling Effort ◽  
Alien Plant Species ◽  
Alien Plant ◽  
Widespread Species ◽  
Native Flora ◽  
Alien Flora ◽  
Herbarium Collections

Abstract The Democratic Republic of the Congo (D.R. Congo) represents a striking gap of knowledge on alien plant species. In this paper, we use digitised herbarium collections to assemble a checklist of alien plant species in D.R. Congo and to examine patterns in the alien flora. The new checklist comprises 426 alien species i.e., 182 (42.5%) casuals, 244 (57.5%) naturalised of which 80 (19% of aliens) are invasive. Discrepancies with previous databases are discussed. For many species in previous databases, we failed to find evidence for occurrence outside cultivation. A total of 158 taxa were not included in previous lists, 44 of which are new to D.R. Congo. Considering the size of the country and its rich native flora, the alien flora of D.R. Congo does not appear to be species rich. The alien flora is particularly rich in Fabaceae (15%) and in annual species (36%). America is by far the most important source continent (65%) and the proportion of annuals of American origin is particularly large among the most widespread species. Invasive success is discussed in terms of residence time. The very low number of new species records after 1960 is most likely accounted for by decreasing sampling effort. The results illustrate how herbarium collections can be used to critically revise existing checklists of alien species in tropical Africa. Field work is urgently needed to improve coverage of recent introductions and to monitor the status of alien species, especially in protected areas and around botanic gardens.

scholarly journals Non-native species in the vascular flora of highlands and mountains of Iceland

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pawel Wasowicz
Keyword(s):  
Alien Species ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Hot Spots ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Second Step ◽  
Plant Colonization ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Alien Plant ◽  
Vascular Plant Species

The highlands and mountains of Iceland, defined here as areas located above 400 m above sea level (m.a.s.l.) are one of the largest remaining wilderness areas in Europe. The present study was aimed to provide the first comprehensive and up-to-date data on non-native plant species from this region. The study was aimed to answer the following questions: (1) How many non-native vascular plant species inhabit highland and mountainous environments in Iceland? (2) Do temporal trends in alien species immigration to Iceland and highland areas differ? (3) Do human disturbed and undisturbed areas within Icelandic highlands differ in terms of alien species occurrence? (4) Is spread within the highland areas a second step in alien plant colonization? and (5) Can we point out hot-spots in the distribution of non native taxa within highlands? Overall, 16 non-native vascular plant species were detected, including 11 casuals and 5 naturalized taxa (1 invasive). Results showed that temporal trends in alien species immigration to Iceland and to highland areas are similar, but it is clear that the process of colonization of highland areas is still in its initial phase. It was evidenced that non-native plants tend to occur close to man-made infrastructure and buildings including huts, shelters, road network etc. Analysis of spatio-temporal patterns showed that the spread within highland areas is a second step in non-native plant colonization in Iceland. Several statically significant hot spots of alien plant occurrences were be identified using Getis-Ord Gi* statistic and linked to human disturbance. This research suggests that human-mediated dispersal is the main driving force increasing the risk of invasion in Icelandic highlands and mountain areas.

Checklist of alien plant species in a natural protected area: Anaga Rural Park (Tenerife, Canary Islands); effect of human infrastructures on their abundance

2018 ◽  
Vol 151 (1) ◽  
pp. 142-152
Author(s):  
Ana B. Expósito ◽  
Antonio Siverio ◽  
Luis A. Bermejo ◽  
Eduardo Sobrino-Vesperinas
Keyword(s):  
Alien Species ◽  
Exotic Species ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Canary Islands ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Hot Spot ◽  
Alien Plant Species ◽  
Alien Plant ◽  
Laurel Forest ◽  
Alien Flora

Background and aims – Invasive alien (exotic) species are one of the most serious threats to the conservation of biodiversity on the planet. This is especially true on islands, given the fragility of their ecosystems and high levels of endemicity in both species and ecosystems. The problem is particularly acute in the Canary Islands, a biodiversity `hot spot´, where there is widespread high endemicity and unique biodiversity. This paper presents the first comprehensive inventory of alien plant species in Anaga Rural Park (ARP) (Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain) a Natural Protected Area, currently proposed as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Anaga is also outstanding for including a relict Tertiary era laurel-forest ecosystem that hosts a large number of palaeoendemics.Methods – Surveys were conducted along itineraries through the different ecosystems of ARP to determine the alien plant species in areas with different levels of human impact.Key results – Two hundred and sixteen alien species were identified, belonging to 53 families and 141 genera, especially concentrated in the most anthropic areas, noting the possibly competitive coexistence of aliens and local endemics of importance in the ecosystem. This is the first overall comprehensive study on the importance of alien species in ARP. Surveys confirmed how human infrastructure and activities significantly favour the presence and diversity of exotic species. Using multivariate statistical analysis, significant differences were found between the species diversity of alien flora and the proximity of anthropic areas. The presence of Cuscuta campestris Yunck was detected, being a second record for the Canaries and the first for ARP.Conclusions – A large number of alien plant species inhabit ARP, affecting all its ecosystems. This is largely the result of the human activities within it, and poses a risk to its conservation and the survival of numerous endemic taxa s. str.

Preliminary Data on Alien Flora from Oltenia – Romania

2013 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-42
Author(s):  
Daniel Răduţoiu ◽  
Ion Stan
Keyword(s):  
Alien Species ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Residence Time ◽  
Preliminary Data ◽  
Life Form ◽  
Alien Plant Species ◽  
Alien Plant ◽  
Vascular Flora ◽  
Alien Flora ◽  
Invasive Status

Abstract This paper presents the list of alien plant species from Oltenia (Romania). For each taxon we mentioned and analysed the life form, the invasive status and the residence time. The collected and presented data highlight the expansion of the area of some alien species not mentioned previously in this part of the country and also the presence of a new subspontaneous species in the vascular flora of Romania, namely Lagurus ovatus.

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