Alien Plant Diversity in Mediterranean Wetlands: A Comparative Study within Valencian, Balearic and Sardinian Floras

Authors

  • Olga MAYORAL Universitat de València, Dpt. Didáctica de las Ciencia Experimentales y Sociales, Fac. Magisterio, Avda. Tarongers, 4 46021; Jardí Botànic de la Universitat de València, Valencia (ES) http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2340-4676
  • Francesco MASCIA Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Centro Conservazione Biodiversità (CCB), Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, v.le S. Ignazio da Laconi 11-13, 09123 Cagliari (IT)
  • Lina PODDA Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Centro Conservazione Biodiversità (CCB), Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, v.le S. Ignazio da Laconi 11-13, 09123 Cagliari (IT)
  • Emilio LAGUNA Generalitat Valenciana, Conselleria de Agricultura, Medio Ambiente, Cambio Climático y Desarrollo Rural, Servicio de Vida Silvestre - CIEF. - Avda. Comarques del País Valencià, 114-E. 46930 Quart de Poblet-València (ES)
  • Pere FRAGA Institut Menorquí d’Estudis (IME), Secció de Ciències Naturals; Camí des Castell, 28, 07702 Maó, Menorca, Illes Balears (ES)
  • Juan RITA Universitat de les Illes Balears, Dpt. Biologia, Cra. Valldemossa, km 7.5. Palma, Illes Balears (ES)
  • Luca FRIGAU Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Centro Conservazione Biodiversità (CCB), Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, v.le S. Ignazio da Laconi 11-13, 09123 Cagliari (IT)
  • Gianluigi BACCHETTA Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Centro Conservazione Biodiversità (CCB), Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, v.le S. Ignazio da Laconi 11-13, 09123 Cagliari Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Hortus Botanicus Karalitanus (HBK), v.le S. Ignazio da Laconi 9-11, 09123 Cagliari (IT)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15835/nbha46210470

Keywords:

continent, environmental impact, invasions, islands, non-native plants, water

Abstract

Although wetlands provide an important range of environmental, social and economic services, they are increasingly subjected to anthropogenic perturbations, amongst which invasion by alien plants is particularly alarming. This paper focuses on the alien flora of wetlands from three territories belonging to the western Mediterranean area: one continental (Valencian Community) and two insular (Balearic Islands and Sardinia), providing a complete checklist for the three territories and a general comparison. In total, 380 alien taxa from 89 families have been reported, being the Valencian Community the area richer in taxa (312), followed by the Balearic Islands (151) and Sardinia (134). The invasive component includes 77 taxa, of which nine are common to the three territories - and have been recognised as the most invasive ones in Mediterranean islands - and six are considered invasive worldwide (Ailanthus altissima, Arundo donax, Cortaderia selloana, Oxalis pes-caprae, Ricinus communis and Eichhornia crassipes). Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) revealed that the three territories do not show statistically relevant differences in relation to the alien species present in wetlands and their characteristics. The information on the characteristics of plants in similar habitats of the same biogeographic region provides a portrait of the current dimensions of the phenomenon in Western Mediterranean wetlands and is especially useful from the management perspective: its predictive value can be applied in establishing a prioritization of control measures of those most invasive species and will help screening new introductions with invasive potential.

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2018-03-12

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MAYORAL, O., MASCIA, F., PODDA, L., LAGUNA, E., FRAGA, P., RITA, J., FRIGAU, L., & BACCHETTA, G. (2018). Alien Plant Diversity in Mediterranean Wetlands: A Comparative Study within Valencian, Balearic and Sardinian Floras. Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca, 46(2), 317–326. https://doi.org/10.15835/nbha46210470

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DOI: 10.15835/nbha46210470

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