Ecological dynamics: the spread of invasive plant species in Hungary's ecosystem types between 2009-2018

Our research focuses on analyzing the spatiotemporal dynamics of five invasive plant species (Ailanthus altissima, Asclepias syriaca, Elaeagnus angustifolia, Robinia pseudoacacia, and Solidago spp.) in various ecosystem types in Hungary from 2009 to 2018. Using the National Geospatial Database of Invasive Plants (NGDIP) and the Ecosystem Map of Hungary (EMH), we examine how these species' distribution and occurrence changed over time. Our methodology and findings offer valuable insights for invasive species research. Our results indicate that Asclepias syriaca and Robinia pseudoacacia increasingly threaten grasslands and complex cultivated areas. Ailanthus altissima and Asclepias syriaca are declining in urban settings due to harsher environmental conditions, while Solidago spp. are expanding in wetlands, impacting riparian biodiversity.

Climatic, hydrological and soil characteristics as a driving force of biological invasion: a case study of Hungary

Invasive plants are a serious threat to biodiversity, biological invasion is a significant problem in protected areas. In order to control their spread, we need to identify the soil, hydrological and climatic conditions which provide favorable conditions for their occurrence. Soil conditions, such as pH level, organic matter and calcium carbonate content and the rooting depth can influence the occurrence of invasive plant species. Many plant species can be associated with surface water, and thus distance from surface water can also be a determining factor for biological invasion. Mean annual temperature and precipitation are climatic factors that can also influence the spread of invasive plants. We mapped the occurrence one of the most aggressively spreading non-native plants of Eurasia (Ailanthus altissima, Asclepias syriaca, Elaeagnus angustifolia, Robinia pseudoacacia, Solidago spp.) in Hungary, using field photos from the EUROSTAT Land Use and Coverage Area Frame Survey (LUCAS) and CORINE Land Cover databases, and investigated with geostatistical methods (ANOVA test in R statistics) how spatial characteristics of infection are related to soil and climatic characteristics and habitat types of Hungary. We found that all the considered soil, hydrological and climatic factor had significant effect for the spread of the investigated invasive plant species. Our results confirm that environmental preference differs between the examined species, climate change may also have a different role on the occurrence

Applicability of Point- and Polygon-Based Vegetation Monitoring Data to Identify Soil, Hydrological and Climatic Driving Forces of Biological Invasions—A Case Study of Ailanthus altissima, Elaeagnus angustifolia and Robinia pseudoacacia

Invasive tree species are a significant threat to native flora. They modify the environment with their allelopathic substances and inhibit the growth of native species by shading, thus reducing diversity. The most effective way to control invasive plants is to prevent their spread which requires identifying the environmental parameters promoting it. Since there are several types of invasive plant databases available, determining which database type is the most relevant for investigating the occurrence of alien plants is of great importance. In this study, we compared the efficiency and reliability of point-based (EUROSTAT Land Use and Coverage Area Frame Survey (LUCAS)) and polygon-based (National Forestry Database (NFD)) databases using geostatistical methods in ArcGIS software. We also investigated the occurrence of three invasive tree species (Ailanthus altissima, Elaeagnus angustifolia, and Robinia pseudoacacia) and their relationships with soil, hydrological, and climatic parameters such as soil organic matter content, pH, calcium carbonate content, rooting depth, water-holding capacity, distance from the nearest surface water, groundwater depth, mean annual temperature, and mean annual precipitation with generalized linear models in R-studio software. Our results show that the invasion levels of the tree species under study are generally over-represented in the LUCAS point-based vegetation maps, and the point-based database requires a dataset with a larger number of samples to be reliable. Regarding the polygon-based database, we found that the occurrence of the invasive species is generally related to the investigated soil and hydrological and climatic factors

Changes in the Occurrence of Five Invasive Plant Species in Different Ecosystem Types between 2009–2018 in Hungary

Modelling and analysis of spatiotemporal characteristics of plant invasion can help in mapping and predicting the spread of invasive plants. The aim of our research was to investigate the spatiotemporal variability of five common invasive plant species (Ailanthus altissima, Asclepias syriaca, Elaeagnus angustifolia, Robinia pseudoacacia, and Solidago spp.) within different land cover (ecosystem)-type categories. The basis of the study was the National Geospatial Database of Invasive Plants (NGDIP) of Hungary, and the ecosystem types of the Ecosystem Map of Hungary (EMH). The GIS-based analysis of the detailed occurrence database of the invasive species (NGDIP) and the thematic land-cover (ecosystem)-type maps (EMH) examined allow us to answer the question of in which habitat types the occurrence and distribution of the given invasive plant has stagnated, decreased, or increased between 2006 and 2018. We developed a methodology with relevant data sources and demonstrated invasion variation, which can be used for future management planning and invasive biology research. Our results show that Asclepias syriaca and Robinia pseudoacacia are increasingly threatening grasslands and are also spreading more intensively in complex cultivated areas. The occurrences of Ailanthus altissima and Asclepias syriaca are declining in built-up areas due to the increasingly extreme environmental conditions of cities or modified urban planning. The spread of Solidago spp. is increasingly common in wetlands, threatening the biodiversity of floodplain (riparian) vegetation

Applicability of Point- and Polygon-Based Vegetation Monitoring Data to Identify Soil, Hydrological and Climatic Driving Forces of Biological Invasions—A Case Study of <i>Ailanthus altissima</i>, <i>Elaeagnus angustifolia</i> and <i>Robinia pseudoacacia</i>

Invasive tree species are a significant threat to native flora. They modify the environment with their allelopathic substances and inhibit the growth of native species by shading, thus reducing diversity. The most effective way to control invasive plants is to prevent their spread which requires identifying the environmental parameters promoting it. Since there are several types of invasive plant databases available, determining which database type is the most relevant for investigating the occurrence of alien plants is of great importance. In this study, we compared the efficiency and reliability of point-based (EUROSTAT Land Use and Coverage Area Frame Survey (LUCAS)) and polygon-based (National Forestry Database (NFD)) databases using geostatistical methods in ArcGIS software. We also investigated the occurrence of three invasive tree species (Ailanthus altissima, Elaeagnus angustifolia, and Robinia pseudoacacia) and their relationships with soil, hydrological, and climatic parameters such as soil organic matter content, pH, calcium carbonate content, rooting depth, water-holding capacity, distance from the nearest surface water, groundwater depth, mean annual temperature, and mean annual precipitation with generalized linear models in R-studio software. Our results show that the invasion levels of the tree species under study are generally over-represented in the LUCAS point-based vegetation maps, and the point-based database requires a dataset with a larger number of samples to be reliable. Regarding the polygon-based database, we found that the occurrence of the invasive species is generally related to the investigated soil and hydrological and climatic factors