Alien plants in Central European river ports
Ports are potential areas for the introduction of alien species which have be brought to new areas by shipping. Invasive alien plants can be contaminants of for example: seeds, grain, or entire plants, in particular plants for planting. River ports typically occur in industrial areas and form part of the urban matrix. To evaluate the extent of alien plant species in Central European ports, data was analysed from a 40-year dataset (1968-2009) from 54 river ports in 5 countries (Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, and Slovakia). All river ports studied were situated on one of two important waterways in Europe (32 ports in Elbe-Vltava waterway and 22 ports on the Danube river). In total, 1056 plants were recorded in and around the 54 river ports, and of these 433 species (41 %) were alien species. There was an average of 125 alien species per river port in the Elbe-Vltava waterway and 140 alien species per port in the Danube waterway. Along both waterways, the proportion of alien plants decreased in ports with increased distance from the sea. The authors note that river ports should be taken into consideration when conducting urban inventories for alien plant species as they can act as important sources for the spread of these species.
Sources
Jehlik V, Dostálek J, Frantik T (2019) Alien plants in central European river ports. NeoBiota 45, 93-115.