Invasive potential of adventive plant species of the Middle Urals

Abstract

The adventive fraction of the Middle Ural flora is represented by 328 species of vascular plants from 198 genera and 51 families. Most of the adventive plants are nonaggressive and form the group of epecophytes (41%); all these plants have been accidentally introduced into the Middle Ural flora (xenophytes). Ephemerophytes occupy second place in the number of species (27%). More than half of this group (60%) is represented by ergasiophytes. The maximum diversity of ephemerophytes is observed in the urban flora (26%) and along railways (23%). Colonophytes form a group of similar size (26%), and most of these species are introduced plants.

Agriophytes (18 species, or 6%) represent the most aggressive group. Among them, 78% belong to xenophytes and 22% are ergasiophytes. Thirteen agriophyte species represent alien plants: Heracleum sosnowskyi, Artemisia absinthium, Conyza canadensis, Impatiens grandulifera, Bunias orientalis, Chenopodium album, Convolvulus arvensis, Echinocystis lobata, Hippophae rhamnoides, Elodea canadensis, Epilobium adenocaulon, Epilobium pseudorubescens, and Amelanchier spicata. Thus, alien plants are a minor component of the adventive flora of the Middle Urals (4%).