The most dangerous invasive plant in Protected Areas of the Mountain Crimea

Abstract

Due to the spur increase in the number and scale of invasions over the past few decades, the study of this problem has become a matter of environmental and economic security in many countries, including Russia and the territory of the Crimea. The Crimean Peninsula, located in the south of Eastern Europe, is one of the centers of plant diversity. Special attention should be paid to invasive species that can actively introduce themselves into both anthropogenic and natural phytocenoses. The article deals with the problem of introduction of invasive species to the Protected Areas of the Mountainous Crimea: Yalta Mountain Forest Nature Reserve, Nacional Park “Krymsky”, Karadagsky Nature Reserve and Nature Park “Cape Martyan”. The most common and dangerous species for the ecosystems of the Protected Areas were identified ( Ailanthus altissima, Berberis aquifolium, Bupleurum fruticosum, Clematis flammula, Daphne laureola, Fraxinus ornus, Jacobae maritima, Opuntia humifusa, O. engelmannii var. lindheimeri, O. phaeacantha, Quercus ilex, Rhamnus alaternus ) on the based of floristic, phytocenotic and other studies. A comprehensive analysis of the current state was carried out and new data were obtained on the distribution, phytocenotic, biotopic allocation and other features of these species in the conditions of the native and outside its native distributional. It was found that invasive species that pose a threat to the ecosystems of four Protected Areas of the Mountainous Crimea were found in different types of biotopes belonging to 4 groups and 16 subgroups identified according to the EUNIS classification of biotopes: coastal marine (B1.33, B2.13, B3.1, B3.3324); herbaceous communities (E1.3, E1.33, E1. 4); tree and shrub communities of temperate and Mediterranean regions (F3.246, F5.16, F5.3, F6.8), forest communities (G1.22, G1.7, G2.2, G3.5, G4.B). These species grow in communities belonging to 10 classes, allocated according to the ecological and floral classification of Braun-Blanquet: Asplenietea trichomanis, Carpino-Fagetea sylvaticae, Crithmo-Staticetea, Cymbalario-Parietarietea diffusae, Drypidetea spinosae, Erico-Pinetea, Lygeo sparti-Stipetea tenacissimae, Ononido-Rosmarinetea, Pegano harmalae-Salsoletea vermiculatae, Quercetea pubescentis . The most invasive are the communities of unions Jasmino fruticantis-Juniperion excelsae, Elytrigio nodosae-Quercion pubescentis (class Quercetea pubescentis ), Elytrigio bessarabicae-Lactucion tataricae (class Crithmo-Staticetea ).