Cornus sanguinea subsp. australis in Lithuania
In Lithuania, the presence and spread of the non-native Cornus sanguinea subsp. australis, has gone unnoticed due largely to its similarity to the native Cornus sanguinea subsp. sanguinea. C. sanguinea subsp. australis is native to South-Eastern Europe and Western Asia and is considered alien in other parts of Europe. During a study in Lithuania between 2018 and 2022, the distribution of C. sanguinea subsp. australis was recorded. The results showed that C. sanguinea subsp. australis has been present in Lithuania for several decades and its establishment is now well advanced. When comparing C. sanguinea subsp. australis with Cornus sanguinea subsp. sanguinea, it was shown that the alien subspecies grows faster and that individuals in analogous habitats mature earlier than the native subspecies. Other traits that can aid its spread and establishment over the native species include the fact that C. sanguinea subsp. australis produces more flowers per inflorescence and has a higher abundance of ripening fruits. C. sanguinea subsp. australis can have a negative effect on species diversity in the community. Considering the current distribution and the drivers of dispersal, C. sanguinea subsp. australis is likely to continue to spread rapidly in Lithuania and may pose a threat to the native subsp. sanguinea populations.
Sources
Petrulaitis L, Gudžinskas Z (2023) Drivers and effects of cryptic invasion of Cornus sanguinea subsp. australis in Lithuania. Diversity 15, 107. https://doi.org/10.3390/d15010107