Geo&Bio (Jul 2019)
Invasive species in the flora of Ukraine. I. The group of highly active species
Abstract
The group of highly active invasive species (64), including also transformer species, in the flora of Ukraine are determined and analysed according to the following criteria: geography (degree of occurrence in different botanical and geographical regions, migratory activity), degree of naturalization, and coenotic activity. Highly active invasive species have a wide distribution range in Ukraine and, respectively, the uniqueness of species composition in different botanical and geographical regions of Ukraine and latitudinal zones is low. In the forest belt of Ukraine, 60 invasive species were found with the following distribution: Transcarpathian forests — 48 species, Carpathian forests — 26, Ciscarpathian forests — 47, forests of Roztochia — 27, forests of Western Ukraine – 33, Little Polissia – 25, Western Polissia — 50, Right-Bank Polissia — 42, Left-Bank Polissia — 55, Central Rus forests — 30. In the forest steppe belt, the number of highly active invasive species is 56 with the following distribution: Volyn Forest Steppe — 21, Western Forest Steppe — 42, Right-Bank Forest Steppe — 48, Left-Bank Forest Steppe — 49, Kharkiv Forest Steppe — 45. In the steppe belt, 50 invasive species were revealed with the following distribution: Right-Bank Grass Mead-ow Steppe — 44, Left-Bank Grass Meadow Steppe — 29, Starobilsk Grass Meadow Steppe — 42, Donetsk Grass-Meadow Steppe — 43, Right bank Grass Steppe — 43, Left bank Grass Steppe — 33, Wormwood Steppe — 21. In the Crimea, the number of invasive species is 42 with the following distribution: Crimean Forest Steppe — 28, Crimean Mountains — 8, Crimean southern coast — 35. A tendency of latitudinal decrease was revealed from north to south in the number of invasive species. This trend is also confirmed by the distribution of the stable component of the group (agriophytes and agrioepoecophytes). On the contrary, the number of epoecophytes in the same direction increases. According to the type of geographical range, invasive species of the group are divided into transcontinental, transzonal and adjacent-zonal species. Species of transcontinental and transzonal, e.g. of North American and East Asian, origin are expanding the range of their habitats the most actively naturalizing in semi-natural and natural plant communities. In general, the group is characterized by low regional uniqueness of species composition, high invasive potential of species, and stable population restoration.
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