Alien Species in the Flora of the Middle Volga Region

Abstract

The article presents information on the diversity and structure of the alien flora of the Middle Volga region on the border between the steppe and forest-steppe zones of the European botanical and geographical province. In the studied area, we identified 440 alien species of plants (24.6% of the total floristic diversity), including 59 invasive and potentially invasive species, the dispersal of which has already caused environmental consequences or could become a threat in the future. According to the degree of naturalization, alien plant species among the regional flora are represented by 146 ephemerophytes (33.2%), 122 colonophytes (27.7%), 151 epecophytes (34.3%) and 21 agriophytes (4.8%). As verified via the main method of skidding, alien species are distributed almost equally – 228 xenophytes (51.8%) and 212 ergasiophygophytes (48.2%). It was revealed that of the 150 species of alien plants, there are only 84 of the most common European species in the Middle Volga region, most of which do not show high cenotic activity. The obtained results actualize the development of a system of ecological and economic assessment of the consequences of introducing alien plant species into regional flora.