Expert: Invasive plant species pose a huge threat to native flora

Invasive plant species affect the composition of native flora by entering it and changing its relationships. Some of them may also pose a threat to our health - Dr. Ewa Zaraś from the Department of Environmental Protection and Dendrology at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW) told PAP.

Invasive plant species are those that have been introduced by humans, either intentionally or unintentionally. Their seeds can accompany other products, plants or animals.

According to Dr. Hab. Ewa Zaraś from the Department of Environmental Protection and Dendrology at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences, alien species have "very broad ecological spectrums" and can live in various places. They are divided into annual plants and trees and shrubs. These include, among others, red oak, ailanthus glandularis and American bird cherry. Among herbaceous plants, the most notable are the goldenrod and the goldenrod late.

According to the expert, due to their enormous development potential, the spread of alien species "has a massive character and as a result, the environment becomes monocultural". According to Zaraś, these plants pose a real, enormous threat to native plants. They influence the change in the composition of native flora by entering it and changing its relationships. As a result, they push out weaker species, which - due to climate change - have a harder time growing.

Alien species also largely fill the place of species that cannot adapt evolutionarily to climate change. According to the expert, the presence of these plants is only an apparent benefit, the negative effects of which may fully manifest in the future. Invasive species, as they spread, also attract new insects, primarily entomological pests and other plant pathogens.

With their presence, plants affect the perception of the landscape and the social aspect. The expert emphasized that many invasive species are used as ornamental plants, including in home gardens and parks. They can penetrate through root systems or sow on their own. In her opinion, we should pay special attention to the beautiful-looking Sakhalin knotweed and Sosnowsky's hogweed, which "can pose a real threat to our health" on warm days. (PAP)

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