Alien and invasive species in plant communities of the Vistula and Brennica rivers gravel bars (Western Carpathians, Poland)

Abstract

Gravel bars are the initial habitats, inseparably connected to the mountain streams. On the one hand, they are an unstable substrate, influenced by the overflows and high waters; however, they are also exposed to strong sunlight and heat. This situation determines specific vegetation which, due to dynamic changes in the habitat, has a pioneer character. What is more, gravel bars are areas where many river migratory species and many random species appear. Among them, there are also synanthropic species. In years 2011-2012, floristic and phytosociological studies were conducted in the Silesian Beskids. The goal of these studies was to recognize the vegetation of the gravel bars of the Vistula and the Brennica rivers - from their springs in the Silesian Beskids to the point where the Brennica River flows into the Vistula River in the Silesian Foothills. The studied section of the two rivers is regulated. Particular attention was paid to the synanthropic species that pose a threat to the native flora. In 9 recognized types of plant communities, 293 vascular plant species were recognized. More than 15% of the flora were alien species (45) and 22 of them were considered to be invasive. The most common invasive species that were spotted included: Impatiens glandulifera, Heracleum mantegazzianum and Reynoutria japonica. Plant communities with the biggest number and share of alien species were Plantago major-Barbarea vulgaris community and Phalaridetum arundinaceae.

Vegetation of the European mountain river gravel bars: A formalized classification

“…Moreover, gravel bars with disrupted natural flooding regime are prone to invasion by alien plants (e.g. Smale, 1990; Meier et al, 2013; Wilczek et al, 2015; Brummer et al, 2016). The habitat destruction and fragmentation also have a significant impact on populations of specialized gravel‐bar species, which are included on the national Red Lists in many European countries (e.g.…”

The impact of forest infrastructure reconstruction on expansion of potentially invasive plant species: First results from a study in Latvia

“…Invasive species are mainly distributed near urban areas, transport corridors (Von der Lippe, Kowarik 2007) and watercourses (Wilczek et al 2015). In forest ecosystems, forest edges have been recognised as the first places to be colonised by invasive plant species (Pauchard, Alaback 2006) and the main pathways of the spread of invasive species are forest roads and streams (Tyser, Worley 1992;Parendes, Jones 2000;Priede 2009), forming habitats for invasive plants (Von der Lippe, Kowarik 2007).…”