According to new research, British flowers have become less distinctive and more similar to each other. This is likely due to Japanese knotweed.
Alien plants spreading into an existing ecosystem can sometimes contribute to the uniqueness of regional flora, but more often they ‘homogenise’ the diversity of plants and flowers, according to a team from the University of Konstanz in Germany.
In a new study, published in the journal Nature Communications, researchers compared the composition of 658 regional floras from around the world.
Dr Mark van Kleunen, the study author, warned that unless more protective measures are put in place to stop the spread of exotic plants, these will only continue to degrade the uniqueness and beauty of ecosystems.
According to new research, British flowers have become less distinctive and more similar to each other, which is likely due to super-invaders like Japanese knotweed.
German researchers consulted several global databases in order to determine the real impact of invasive plants on ecosystem biodiversity. Comparing the 658 regional florists.
The number of species that a particular region has in common with others, as well as the relationship between them, were considered.
This allowed them to assess the floristic uniqueness of individual regions.
Researchers discovered that biogeographic factors played an important part in the spreading of exotic plants as well as the destruction of the distinctiveness of the regional floras.
This includes the geographic distance between the regions they studied, as well as their ‘climatic distance’ – how different the regional climates are from each other.
Lead author Dr Qiang Yan said that the climate differences between two areas make it more probable for a plant to become a naturalized species once the geographic barriers are crossed.
Dr Yang stated that plants from regions with short climate distances to new habitats are considered climatically pre-adapted.
The researchers discovered that there are also anthropogenic influences which can influence the spread and growth of these plants.
Researchers said that some areas of their research had an underlying history with one government.
They wrote that “Regions which are currently or were under the same political administration in their past show greater homogenization of the compositions of their floras.”
As an example, we have given the examples of shared governance in areas within Europe or the US.
On the other side, historical examples include the European colonial forces and their colonies in South America.
‘Between regions of the same national territory or regions with historical colonial ties, there is or at least was lively exchange in the past – in the form of both cargo and passenger traffic,’ said Qiang Yang.
“This increases often the exchange of plant across geographical boundaries, either intentionally or as trade products, agricultural crops or other purposes.
A team of researchers at the University of Konstanz found that alien plants may spread within an ecosystem to sometimes enhance the biodiversity of local fauna. However, this is not always the case.
Global declines in biodiversity are largely due to naturalized species of alien plants.
According to Dr Mark van Kleunen – Professor of Ecology and Senior Author – “These effects are now apparent even in the remotest corners of the planet.”
In rare instances, when alien plants are successfully integrated into an ecosystem, this can contribute to the distinctiveness of local flora.
But, more often it happens that it naturally occurs, leading to declines in biodiversity.