Abstract
Previous studies have found a higher proportion of alien plant species along the coastal area of the Black Sea. The goals of the present study were to assess the role of two harbours as gateways and reservoirs for alien plant species, to compare the structure and invasion pattern of the alien plants recorded there, and test methods useful for effective monitoring programs. We inventoried 12 sites along the western Black Sea coast from the harbour of Sulina in the north to Cape Kaliakra in the south. Each site was visited at least three times each. A more intensive survey was done in the two harbours targeted by our study: Constanţa and Sulina. The proportion of neophytes was higher in the harbours (representing about one third of the total plant species) and lower in coastal protected areas (with an average proportion of 6.7%). Species accumulation curves and estimators of species richness indicated that while the plant inventory was not complete, invasive alien species (IAS) were adequately inventoried. Harbours act not only as gateways for IAS but also as reservoirs, facilitating their acclimatization and naturalization. The use of species accumulation curves and estimators of species richness are useful tools in designing and evaluating simple monitoring programs based on repeated inventories. Our study has stressed the importance of monitoring not only coastal waters but also green areas in harbours for the early detection of IAS.
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Acknowledgements
The present study was funded by Consiliul National al Cercetarii Stiintifice din Invatamantul Superior (CNCSIS) PNII-IDEI 273/2007 grant to Dan Cogălniceanu, PNII-IDEI 611/2008 to Paulina Anastasiu, while fieldwork in Bulgaria was partly funded by Phare CBC RO 2005/017-535.01.02.02. Access permits were provided by the Constanţa Port Administration. Special thanks to Marius Skolka, Marius Făgăraş, Gabriel Bănică and Ioana Sîrbu that helped with fieldwork.
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Anastasiu, P., Negrean, G., Samoilă, C. et al. A comparative analysis of alien plant species along the Romanian Black Sea coastal area. The role of harbours. J Coast Conserv 15, 595–606 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11852-011-0149-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11852-011-0149-0