Greater focus needed on alien plant impacts in protected areas

Alien plants pose significant threats to protected areas worldwide yet many studies only describe the degree to which these areas have become invaded. Research must move toward a better understanding of alien plant impacts since managers urgently require an appropriate evidence base to prioritize control/eradication targets. We analyze a global database of quantitative studies of alien plant impacts to evaluate existing knowledge of alien plant impacts within and outside protected areas. Although protected areas are a significant focus for quantitative impact studies, the biogeographic emphasis of most research effort does not coincide with the global distribution of protected areas nor the plant species or life-forms recognized to have greatest impacts on ecosystems. While impacts were often as significant within protected areas as outside, only a minority of studies provide any subsequent management recommendations. There is therefore considerable scope to improve the evidence base on alien plant management in protected areas

Blurring alien introduction pathways risks losing the focus on invasive species policy

The pathways by which alien species are introduced to new regions fall into six broad classes: deliberate release; escape from captivity; contaminant of a commodity; stowaway on a transport vector; via an infrastructure corridor (without which spread would not be possible) or unaided from other invaded regions (Hulme et al. 2008). However, Gilroy et al. (2016) argue that species dispersing naturally, through the infrastructure corridor or unaided pathway, should be classed as native rather than alien. We contend their proposal is not only unworkable but also unwise

From West to East and back again: Trans-Siberian Railway as a continental pathway of plant invasions

The rapid increase of invasions worldwide is associated with the intensification and expansion of trade and transport, and access to new source species pools. The presented project contributes to understanding the role of human-mediated pathways (based on the model system of Trans-Siberian railway, Транссибирская магистраль, Transsibirskaya magistral, TSR) in translocating plant species, elucidating the biogeographic patterns of their spread, and predicting the invasion risk of alien species along TSR in the futur

Scoring environmental and socioeconomic impacts of alien plants invasive in Europe

The categorization of invasive alien species based on their impact is an important way of improving the management of biological invasions. The impact of 128 alien species of plants in Europe was evaluated using the Generic Impact Scoring System (GISS) originally developed for mammals. Based on information in the literature their environmental and socioeconomic impacts were assessed and assigned to one of six different categories. In each category, the impact was classified on a five-degree scale, which reflects the impact intensity. To identify species with the greatest impacts, we used the maximum score recorded in each category and their sums. Data from the whole invaded range were considered, which resulted in scoring the potential impact of each species, not necessarily currently realized in Europe. Environmental impacts are most often manifested via competition with native species (recorded for 83 % of the species), while socioeconomic impacts are associated mostly with human health (78 %). The sums of environmental and socioeconomic impacts were significantly correlated, which indicates that the same suite of species traits is associated with both types of impacts. In terms of plant life forms, annual plants have on average lower environmental impacts than perennial plants, and aquatic species have a higher socioeconomic impact than other life forms. Applying the GISS to plants, the most species-rich taxonomic group of alien organisms in Europe, is an important step towards providing managers and policymakers with a robust tool for identifying and prioritizing alien species with the highest impact

Spread of alien plants along the Trans-Siberian railway: the effect of biogeographical zones

We present results of the field inventory made in railway areas along the Trans-Siberian railwa

Alien and aboriginal flora of the Amur section of the Trans-Siberian Railway and its relationships with the characteristics of natural biomes

Trans-Siberian Railway, from the settlement of Yerofey Pavlovich to Kundur-Khabarovskiy railway station, with the total length of 1043 km (11 % of the TSR)explored. The study encompassed sixteen railway stations located in two biomes, including Amur-Zeya Boreal Taiga with variants southern taiga and subtaiga, and Zeya-Bureya Nemoral Broadleaved Forests and Forest-Steppe one

From west to east and back again: Trans-siberian railway as a continental pathway of plant invasions; project overview

We aim at studying the transported plant species and biogeographical patterns of their spread. The project also aims to predict the invasion risk of alien species along TSR in the futur

Features of the Trans-siberian railway flora formation and alien plant migration within different regions

We consider the Trans-Siberian Railway, which connects two continents with a different set of native species, to be a unique object of research for analyzing the distribution of alien plants on a global scal

ФЛОРА СИБИРСКОГО УЧАСТКА ТРАНССИБИРСКОЙ ЖЕЛЕЗНОДОРОЖНОЙ МАГИСТРАЛИ В ПРЕДЕЛАХ РАЗЛИЧНЫХ ЕСТЕСТВЕННЫХ БИОМОВ

Проведена инвентаризация видов растений на сибирском участке Транссибирской магистрали (ТСМ) между городами Новосибирск и Красноярск. Исследуемая территория расположена в двух естественных биомах: Тоболо-Приобском лесостепном и Бореальном Ангарском подтаежном. Изучен растительный покров 10-ти железнодорожных станций и участков железной дороги на перегонах: 4 – на территории Новосибирской области и 6 – на территории Красноярского края. На изученном участке ТСМ выявлено 209 видов сосудистых растений: 19 древесных, 107 поликарпических и 83 вида монокарпических травянистых растений. В Бореальном Ангарском подтаежном биоме отмечено 154 вида, что составляет (73,7%), а в Тоболо-Приобском лесостепном – 150 (71,8%) относительно общего числа видов, выявленных в обоих биомах. Наиболее высокое сходство коэффициента Съеренсена отмечено между флорой прилегающих территорий к ж.-д. откосам Тоболо-Приобского лесостепного биома и флорой остальных экотопов железных дорог Бореального Ангарского подтаежного биома, кроме флоры дренажных канав. Выявлено существенное сходство между флорами железных дорог обоих биомов. Самое низкое сходство в пределах ТСМ отмечено для флор дренажных канав Бореального Ангарского подтаежного биома с откосами железной дороги, полосой отчуждения и канавами Тоболо-Приобского лесостепного биома (по 13,0%). Чужеродными являются 56 видов (27,0% от общего списка видов). К инвазионным отнесено 22 таксона, девять из которых входит в Топ-100 самых опасных инвазионных видов Росси