Plant invasions and landcape ecological state indication

Abstract

The purpose of the research is to study invasion processes in plant cover as a landscape state indicator (on the example of South-Eastern Belarus). Landscapes according to non-forest plant cover adventization are weakly differentiated. Considerable differences between landscapes appear in forest plant cover adventization. The correlation between plant invasions and the level of anthropogenic transformation landscape is revealed. The two most significant factors are the landscape ecological stability coefficient and the distance to the nearest climax ecosystem, which have substantial control over plant cover invasions. Thus, plant cover invasibility in the area depends on anthropogenic transformation of surrounding geosystems. The occurrence of 17 invasive species (Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronqist, Oenothera biennis L., Acer negundo L. and others) in natural and anthropogenic landscapes of South-East Belarus is studied. Invasion success in a forest land depends on its fragmentation. The highest invasive species occurrence is typical for forest lands with an area less than 0.1 km2. Some criteria of plant invasion risk assessment for natural-anthropogenic landscapes (anthropogenic transformation and fragmentation indicators) are suggested.