INVASIVE POTENTIAL OF CAUCASUS PLANTS IN THE TSITSIN BOTANICAL GARDEN OF THE RUSSIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

Abstract

The results of alien plant’s naturalization in the Caucasus flora exposition of the Main Botanical Garden of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow) are presented. In order to identify the characters contributing to the potential success of invasion, the naturalized and nonnaturalized species were compared. Out of the 1246 taxa have been intentionally introduced for 76 years, 57 species (4.5%) showed the ability to naturalize, while 12 species (less than 1%) actually "escaped" from the culture. The dispersal of resistant unpretentious plants was facilitated by the weakening of collection care in the 1990s. After the revision carried out in 2020, another 17 species have successfully naturalized. Apiaceae and Boraginaceae showed the highest degree of naturalization. Self- reproduction was observed in 440 species, and the greatest number of naturalized taxa (19%) belonged to plants that were reproduced both by vegetative propagation and by self-seeding, while among those propagated only by self-seeding, 16% of species were naturalized and among those propagated vegetatively, only 6%. Plants of subalpine tall grasses and forest communities of the Caucasus were the most adapted to the conditions of Moscow. None of the species confined to semi-deserts, arid sparse forests, upland xerophytic communities, steppes, alpine meadows, high-altitude rocks and screes and subtropical forests of Colchis and Talysh became invasive. Short-rooted and long-rooted perennial herbaceous plants prevailed among the naturalized plants. The widespread opinion about the difficulty of introducing endemic plants was not confirmed. In terms of the proportion of naturalized species, they were insignificantly inferior to wide range species, and superior to them in terms of the number of highly invasive and invasive species. The complex of characters that can predict a high probability of transformation of intentionally introduced plant species into invasive ones has been revealed. The results of the analysis of invasiveness of Caucasian species will be used to prevent the introduction of aggressive alien plants and to develop a scientifically based approach to plant exhibiting.