New localities and habitat preferences of common milkweed Asclepias syriaca L. in Toruń (Central Poland)

Abstract

Abstract. The paper presents the location and general description of habitats and plant communities with common milkweed occurring within the city limits of Toruń. The data set comprised new localities of this species as well as those where Asclepias syriaca has been observed for several years but the sites have not been described in the ecological literature. Relevés made at these sites were compared with those described by Puchałka et al. (2013) from three sites of Asclepias syriaca in Toruń. A larger set of new sites included in the analysis allows for a more accurate description of the impact exerted by some ecological factors, e.g. afforestation, on the growth of the studied species. As evidenced by the new sites of Asclepias syriaca found recently in Toruń and the surrounding area, it is necessary to monitor the dynamics of the population and to undertake the research on the impact of common milkweed on plant communities.

Understanding the Environmental Background of an Invasive Plant Species (Asclepias syriaca) for the Future: An Application of LUCAS Field Photographs and Machine Learning Algorithm Methods

“…According to the climate scenarios of the sample area, summer precipitation is likely to decrease with the increase in the mean annual temperature, which predicts an increase in the annual evaporation [29,30]. We can also verify the findings of [31], in which the authors suppose that suboptimal climatic conditions (precipitation, evaporation, and temperature levels) may limit the northward expansion of the species in Europe.…”

Invasive alien plants along roadsides in Europe

“…In other European countries, namely in Poland, Hungary and Slovakia, it occurs noticeably along roadsides (e.g. Pauková et al ., ; Rutkowski et al ., ). Thus, A. syriaca may become more widespread in the future along roadsides, aided by its strong colonizing abilities and the turbulence of passing vehicles that may enhance the wind dispersal of its seeds (Wyatt et al ., ).…”

“…'invasive', 'potentially invasive', 'grey list'). Cotoneaster species are extensively used as ornamental shrubs; they easily establish themselves in open, semi-shaded, rocky habitats and are mostly likely bird-sown from planted individuals (Verloove, 2013 Rutkowski et al, 2015). Thus, A. syriaca may become more widespread in the future along roadsides, aided by its strong colonizing abilities and the turbulence of passing vehicles that may enhance the wind dispersal of its seeds (Wyatt et al, 1993).…”

Roads support the spread of invasive Asclepias syriaca in Austria

“…The species was brought to Europe as an ornamental plant and also for economic utilization (e.g., latex production) in the 19th century, and by now, it has become naturalized in central and southern European countries (Bagi, 2008). In its invaded range, A. syriaca is mainly found in ruderal habitats (railway tracks, roadsides) and on abandoned agricultural land, deforested areas, or degraded areas (Kelemen et al, 2016;Rutkowski et al, 2015). So far, A. syriaca was only sporadically found in crop fields, vineyards, and orchards in Austria (Follak, unpublished data), although the species is a common weed in neighboring countries such as Hungary (Novák et al, 2009) and in its native range (Hartzler and Buhler, 2000).…”

“…A. syriaca is a strong competitor because it develops large, dense, and persistent populations (Bagi, 2008) and it has effective chemical defense mechanisms against herbivory (Agrawal, 2004). It has become increasingly abundant in central and southern Europe (e.g., Bagi, 2008;Pauková et al, 2014;Rutkowski et al, 2015;Popov, 2016;Dvirna, 2018). In Austria, its spatiotemporal distribution has not been systematically investigated, although the species is considered to be at an early stage of invasion.…”