Constructing a database of alien plants in the Himalaya to test patterns structuring diversity
Abstract Differences in the number of alien plant species in different locations may reflect climatic and other controls that similarly affect native species and/or propagule pressure accompanied with delayed spread from the point of introduction. We set out to examine these alternatives for Himalay...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2024-02-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10884 |
| _version_ | 1827572801711636480 |
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| author | Suresh K. Rana Bhawana Dangwal Gopal S. Rawat Trevor D. Price |
| author_facet | Suresh K. Rana Bhawana Dangwal Gopal S. Rawat Trevor D. Price |
| author_sort | Suresh K. Rana |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Differences in the number of alien plant species in different locations may reflect climatic and other controls that similarly affect native species and/or propagule pressure accompanied with delayed spread from the point of introduction. We set out to examine these alternatives for Himalayan plants, in a phylogenetic framework. We build a database of alien plant distributions for the Himalaya. Focusing on the well‐documented regions of Jammu & Kashmir (west) and Bhutan (east) we compare alien and native species for (1) richness patterns, (2) degree of phylogenetic clustering, (3) the extent to which species‐poor regions are subsets of species‐rich regions and (4) continental and climatic affinities/source. We document 1470 alien species (at least 600 naturalised), which comprise ~14% of the vascular plants known from the Himalaya. Alien plant species with tropical affinities decline in richness with elevation and species at high elevations form a subset of those at lower elevations, supporting location of introduction as an important driver of alien plant richness patterns. Separately, elevations which are especially rich in native plant species are also rich in alien plant species, suggesting an important role for climate (high productivity) in determining both native and alien richness. We find no support for the proposition that variance in human disturbance or numbers of native species correlate with alien distributions. Results imply an ongoing expansion of alien species from low elevation sources, some of which are highly invasive. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T19:28:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4134fbe71a1c4c96b765e26b62a9fb57 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T19:28:47Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-4134fbe71a1c4c96b765e26b62a9fb572024-02-29T08:56:40ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582024-02-01142n/an/a10.1002/ece3.10884Constructing a database of alien plants in the Himalaya to test patterns structuring diversitySuresh K. Rana0Bhawana Dangwal1Gopal S. Rawat2Trevor D. Price3G.B Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment Almora Uttarakhand IndiaG.B Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment Almora Uttarakhand IndiaWildlife Institute of India Dehradun Uttarakhand IndiaZoology 309A, Department of Ecology and Evolution University of Chicago Chicago Illinois USAAbstract Differences in the number of alien plant species in different locations may reflect climatic and other controls that similarly affect native species and/or propagule pressure accompanied with delayed spread from the point of introduction. We set out to examine these alternatives for Himalayan plants, in a phylogenetic framework. We build a database of alien plant distributions for the Himalaya. Focusing on the well‐documented regions of Jammu & Kashmir (west) and Bhutan (east) we compare alien and native species for (1) richness patterns, (2) degree of phylogenetic clustering, (3) the extent to which species‐poor regions are subsets of species‐rich regions and (4) continental and climatic affinities/source. We document 1470 alien species (at least 600 naturalised), which comprise ~14% of the vascular plants known from the Himalaya. Alien plant species with tropical affinities decline in richness with elevation and species at high elevations form a subset of those at lower elevations, supporting location of introduction as an important driver of alien plant richness patterns. Separately, elevations which are especially rich in native plant species are also rich in alien plant species, suggesting an important role for climate (high productivity) in determining both native and alien richness. We find no support for the proposition that variance in human disturbance or numbers of native species correlate with alien distributions. Results imply an ongoing expansion of alien species from low elevation sources, some of which are highly invasive.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10884alien speciesclimatic nichedirectional filteringelevational distributionHimalayaseed plants |
| spellingShingle | Suresh K. Rana Bhawana Dangwal Gopal S. Rawat Trevor D. Price Constructing a database of alien plants in the Himalaya to test patterns structuring diversity Ecology and Evolution alien species climatic niche directional filtering elevational distribution Himalaya seed plants |
| title | Constructing a database of alien plants in the Himalaya to test patterns structuring diversity |
| title_full | Constructing a database of alien plants in the Himalaya to test patterns structuring diversity |
| title_fullStr | Constructing a database of alien plants in the Himalaya to test patterns structuring diversity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Constructing a database of alien plants in the Himalaya to test patterns structuring diversity |
| title_short | Constructing a database of alien plants in the Himalaya to test patterns structuring diversity |
| title_sort | constructing a database of alien plants in the himalaya to test patterns structuring diversity |
| topic | alien species climatic niche directional filtering elevational distribution Himalaya seed plants |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10884 |
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