Czech alien flora and the historical pattern of its formation: what came first to Central Europe?

Abstract

Temporal patterns of immigration to the country were analysed using 668 alien species in the flora of the Czech Republic for which the dates of the first record were available (64.8% of the total number of 1031 so-called neophytes, i.e. aliens introduced after the year 1500). After a period of initial slow increase lasting to the 1840s, the accumulation of neophytes over time could be best fitted by a linear model that explained 97% of the variance. The intensity of floristic research, which varied between periods, did not significantly affect the overall increase in the number of aliens. The effect of species traits on the year of introduction was evaluated, with continent of origin, introduction type (deliberate or accidental), life history, Grime's life strategy, onset of flowering, mode of dispersal and propagule size as explanatory variables. Species of European origin and CSR strategists arrived earlier than those with other origins and strategies. Deliberately introduced species appeared earlier than accidental arrivals, and those cultivated for utilitary reasons on average arrived earlier than ornamentals. Species capable of early flowering were remarkably more prevalent among early newcomers. A separate analysis of accidentally introduced American species also identified life history as a significant predictor of immigration time, with annuals being introduced earlier than biennials and perennials. The data contribute to an understanding of a crucial stage of the invasion process that has received little attention in the literature. The model "early alien" to Central Europe is a European species with a CSR strategy deliberately brought for cultivation as a utilitary plant. Once it escaped from cultivation, its establishment in the wild was favoured by its ability to flower early and, therefore, complete the life cycle.

Alien invasive neophytes of the Southeastern part of the Pannonian Plain

“…The flora of Serbia has a bipolar Hemicryptophyta-Therophyta character, with a greater number of therophytes in the northern part (including the study area), which belongs to the Pontian-South Siberian floristic region [41]. The increased percentage of participation by phanerophytes when compared to the autochthonous flora of Serbia was also recorded in other countries [34,42]. The presence of phanerophytes as well as scandentophytes is connected with significant introduction of ornamental and cultivated species of trees and shrubs, while most therophytes were introduced with seed material and mineral matter, which is not controlled.…”

Alien species in a warmer world: risks and opportunities

“…In this regard, climatic factors might also have an important role if they can increase the per-capita reproductive output for any given population density. Species introduced from warmer regions to temperate areas have, until recently, been constrained by too short a growing season, which prevented several species from becoming naturalized; for example, by being unable to set fruit [28,29] or to compete successfully with resident species [17,30], as was the case for the cherry laurel Prunus laurocerasus in temperate areas of central Europe [31]. This could be about to change with warmer temperatures extending the growing season of plants and reproductive period of animals.…”

Comparación de la severidad de invasión asociada a caminos con diferentes niveles de perturbación en un bosque templado lluvioso del sur de Chile

“…Esto se puede deber a que las tres primeras llevan menos tiempo en el parque, pues corresponden a registros recientes (Mardones et al 2012). En este sentido, el tiempo de residencia de una especie en un lugar se ha propuesto como un factor importante en la determinación del éxito de invasión de una especie introducida (Rozenfields & Mackenzie 1999, Rejmánek 2000, Pyšek et al 2003, Castro et al 2005, Wilson et al 2007. Es por ello, que se sugiere mantener un seguimiento de estas plantas, pues en un futuro podrían alcanzar el equilibrio y ocupar los lugares que potencialmente son habitables por estas especies (sensu Peña-Gómez et al 2014).…”