Changes in the Occurrence of Five Invasive Plant Species in Different Ecosystem Types between 2009–2018 in Hungary

Márton Bence Balogh, Miklós Kertész, Katalin Török, Georgina Veronika Visztra and Péter Szilassi ()
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Márton Bence Balogh: Department of Geoinformatics, Physical and Environmental Geography, University of Szeged, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary
Miklós Kertész: Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Ecology and Botany, H-2163 Vácrátót, Hungary
Katalin Török: Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Ecology and Botany, H-2163 Vácrátót, Hungary
Georgina Veronika Visztra: Department of Geoinformatics, Physical and Environmental Geography, University of Szeged, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary
Péter Szilassi: Department of Geoinformatics, Physical and Environmental Geography, University of Szeged, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary

Land, 2023, vol. 12, issue 9, 1-21

Abstract: Modelling and analysis of spatiotemporal characteristics of plant invasion can help in mapping and predicting the spread of invasive plants. The aim of our research was to investigate the spatiotemporal variability of five common invasive plant species ( Ailanthus altissima , Asclepias syriaca , Elaeagnus angustifolia , Robinia pseudoacacia , and Solidago spp.) within different land cover (ecosystem)-type categories. The basis of the study was the National Geospatial Database of Invasive Plants (NGDIP) of Hungary, and the ecosystem types of the Ecosystem Map of Hungary (EMH). The GIS-based analysis of the detailed occurrence database of the invasive species (NGDIP) and the thematic land-cover (ecosystem)-type maps (EMH) examined allow us to answer the question of in which habitat types the occurrence and distribution of the given invasive plant has stagnated, decreased, or increased between 2006 and 2018. We developed a methodology with relevant data sources and demonstrated invasion variation, which can be used for future management planning and invasive biology research. Our results show that Asclepias syriaca and Robinia pseudoacacia are increasingly threatening grasslands and are also spreading more intensively in complex cultivated areas. The occurrences of Ailanthus altissima and Asclepias syriaca are declining in built-up areas due to the increasingly extreme environmental conditions of cities or modified urban planning. The spread of Solidago spp. is increasingly common in wetlands, threatening the biodiversity of floodplain (riparian) vegetation.

Keywords: biological invasion; invasive plants; GIS; environmental hazards; biodiversity; ecology; LUCAS; ecosystem mapping; habitat types; land cover (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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