Plant Invasion Research in Russia: Basic Projects and Scientific Fields

Abstract

This paper represents a review of comprehensive research into invasion biology done by Russian scholars for four decades. Invasion biology is a relatively new field of research focused on the study of alien plants, their behavior in new habitats and risks they pose to indigenous species. It is shown that over 40 years, single finds of alien plant species have transformed into a check-list of invasive species in Russia. The most significant invasion pathways were identified, and the rate of microevolutional changes in plant species in their secondary distribution range was determined. Since the most active alien species disperse without regard to national borders, international cooperation is crucial in joint studies of invasive species.

Development of the “black list” of the flora for the Chelyabinsk region of Russia

“…In this work, one of the modern approaches to assessing the invasive status of alien species is used [1]. This approach defines the main criteria that allow specific alien species to be assigned to one of four categories of invasive status.…”

“…In the Chelyabinsk region, as in many other territories of the Russian Federation, there is a change in the composition of the flora due to the introduction of alien species into its composition from other physical and geographical zones and territories [1,2]. In some areas of the region, the number of invasive plants becomes threatening for natural phytocenoses.…”

“…In Russia, the inventory of alien species is largely completed. Reviews were compiled for different regions of Russia, covering more than 80% of the territory of our country [7,8]. A preliminary list of invasive plants in Russia has been published, including 730 species [9].…”

Morphological and Micromorphological Investigations of Bidens frondosa L. from Flora of Krasnodar Region, Russia

“…The bootjack bur (Bidens frondosa) is not popular among medicinal plants, as there is a sufficient number of pharmacopoeial representatives. In countries worldwide, B. frondosa is actively used as a medicinal plant, but it is not accepted officially in Russia 1 . As for the distribution of this species, it is worth noting that it belongs to a hazardous invasive species, spreading almost across all continents.…”

Economic and Environmental Consequences of Invasion of Alien Plant Species and Counteraction Measures in the Samara Region

“…В Российской Федерации изданы монографии, посвященные чужеродным растениям Средней России [13], Среднего Поволжья [44], а также сводки по адвентивной флоре Воронежской области [17] и других регионов [12]. Имеется опыт создания Черной книги флоры Сибири [57] в границах Сибирского Федерального округа.…”