Alien Plants Introduced by Different Pathways Differ in Invasion Success
Author Information
Author(s): Pyšek Petr, Jarošík Vojtěch, Pergl Jan
Primary Institution: Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
Hypothesis
Do different pathways of introduction affect the invasion success of alien plant species?
Conclusion
Deliberate introductions of alien plants are more likely to result in naturalization and invasion compared to unintentional introductions.
Supporting Evidence
- Deliberate introductions resulted in 45.1% of naturalized species.
- Unintentional introductions resulted in fewer invasive species compared to deliberate ones.
- Contaminants occupied a wider range of seminatural habitats than deliberately introduced species.
Takeaway
Some plants come to new places on purpose, like when people plant them, while others come by accident, like hitching a ride on a truck. The ones that are planted on purpose usually do better at spreading.
Methodology
The study analyzed 1,007 alien plant species in the Czech Republic, classifying them by their introduction pathways and assessing their invasion status and distribution.
Potential Biases
Potential biases may arise from the reliance on historical data and the classification of species based on available records.
Limitations
The study is limited to the Czech Republic and may not be generalizable to other regions.
Participant Demographics
The study focused on alien plant species in the Czech Republic, with no specific demographic data on participants.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Confidence Interval
CI=141.2–148.5 for released species; CI=172.1–173.6 for contaminants
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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