scholarly journals Invasive Alien Flora in and around an Urban Area of India

Author(s):  
Samarendra Narayan Mallick ◽  
Nirius Xenan Ekka ◽  
Sanjeet Kumar ◽  
Sudam C. Sahu
Keyword(s):  
2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danijela Stešević ◽  
Danka Caković ◽  
Slobodan Jovanović

The paper presents a taxonomic, ecological and phytogeographical study of the native and alien flora of the urban area of Podgorica (Capital of Montenegro, SE Europe). The surveyed terrain extends over 86 km2, and apart from the urban it also entails the peri-urban zone. The checklist of vascular plants of the urban area includes1222 species and subspecies from 561 genera and 121 families which represents a little over a third of the total flora of Montenegro. The richness and diversity of the city’s flora are caused by the local geomorphology and climatic conditions of the area, the high diversity of habitats with different anthropogenic impact and the increased immigration of plants from the surrounding ecosystems. Concerning the distribution of the species number by quadrant in  the city area of Podgorica ther is no gradient between growing number of species and distance from the urban core. However, if the distribution of the number of taxa per habitat is taken into consideration, it is clear that the homogeneity of habitats and the increase in the urbanisation leads to decline of the number of wild growing taxa. The families represented by the highest number of taxa are Poaceae (11.5%), Asteraceae (11.2%) and Fabaceae (9.2%). while the genera represented most are Trifolium (2.1%), Euphorbia (1.4%), Carex, Ranunculus and Bromus (1.3 each%), Veronica (1.2%), Allium (1.1%), Vicia and Lathyrus (1% each). Apart from the expected high presence of synanthropic, ruderal and ruderal-segetal taxa, the flora of Podgorica is characterised by a significant number of typical urbanophobes. Comparing to the flora of selected European cities (Zurich, Vienna, Rome, Patras and Thessaloniki), Podgorica showed the biggest similarity with Rome (Sørensen’s quotient of similarity (Q/S)= 69.4). The general life form spectrum  has therophytic-hemicryptophytic character, which, on one hand, reflects the climatic conditions and on the other the intensive urbanisation of the surveyed area. Like in the spectrum of other Mediterranean cities, the participation of the geophytes is relatively high (11.7%). Conserning phenology, Podgorica is a city in which no interruption of vegetation growth and something is always in flower. The majority of plants flower in May, the smallest number flowers in December. Regarding the ecological temperature index, dominating in the city area are thermophilic plants (T7 and T8), an indication of the Mediterranean character of the city area. Prevalent in terms of the light index are heliophyllic plants (L7 and L8), conditioned by exposure of the terrain to sunlight, as well as by the degradation of the primary forest cover and the domination of open and sunny habitats. Dominant in terms of soil reaction are neutrophilic and neutro-basophilic species (R5 and R7), and in terms of nutrients oligotrophic plants (N2 and N3). Dominating in terms of the humidity index are H3 and H4 plants, as expected considering the climatic conditions and hydrography of the area. The phytogeographic spectrum of Podgorica fits into the general spectrum of South European cities and is characterised by the prevailing presence of Mediterranean species s.l. (39.7%). The participation of aliens is relatively small (14.1%), probably due to the short history of the settlement and the poorly developed transportation and trading networks. Dominant among aliens are taxa of Asteraceae (15.7%) and plants of Asian (43%) and North American origin (23.2%). The most aggressive aliens in the city area are Ailanthus altissima, Artemisia annua, A. verlotiorum, Bidens subalternans, Broussonetia papyrifera, taxa of the genus Erigeron, Symphyotrichum squamatum and Xanthium orientale subsp. italicum.The comparative analysis of selected habitat types in the area of Podgorica showed that two habitat types are distinguished by prominent floristic richness: meadows (46.1%) and dikes along railroad tracks (32.1%). Due to constant degradation and loss of habitat in the strict urban zone of Podgorica which on one hand causes the loss of native flora, and on the other facilitates the expansion of the alien flora, we expect the effect of the biotic homogenisation to be noticeable in the area of Podgorica.The allergenic flora of Podgorica includes 253 taxa of wild vascular plants whose pollen has been grouped into three categories: woody plants pollen (32 taxa), weed pollen (76 taxa) and grass pollen (145). Tree pollen is present from February to April, while weed and grass pollen from April to October.


2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-226
Author(s):  
Biljana Lubarda ◽  
◽  
Ljiljana Topalić-Trivunović ◽  

In the urban area of Banja Luka, 77 species of alien plants have been found, most of them neophytes (64.94%) while a smaller percentage are archeophytes (35.06%). Most of the plants originate from America (34), and Asiatic species rank second (17). Most of the alien plants belong to the Compositae family, in terms of life form are therophytes, and intention has been involved in their arrival in this area.The anthropogenic change indicator values have been shown to have a significant anthropogenic impact on the overall flora.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
V.B. Kalmanova

В статье представлены результаты исследования экологогеохимического состояния снежного покрова как индикатора качества атмосферного воздуха г. Биробиджана. Выявлены основные природные и антропогенные факторы, предопределяющие экологическое состояние городской территории в зимний период (климатические, планировочная структура, стационарные и мобильные источники загрязнения). Определено, что выбросы основных загрязнителей во время отопительного сезона превышает летний в 6,5 раз. Проведены геохимические исследования снежного покрова на 60 экспериментальных площадках, заложенных в различных функциональных зонах города. Выявлено значительное превышение тяжелых металлов над фоновым уровнем: железа до 60, марганца до 50, меди до 40, цинка до 20, никеля до 12, свинца до 10, кобальта до 6 раз. С 2003 по 2018 годы содержание химических элементов в снеге увеличилось в 2 раза за счет мобильных источников загрязнения, ТЭЦ, котельных. Проведена сравнительная характеристика накопления тяжелых металлов в снеге за 2003 и 2018 годы и установлен ранжированный ряд загрязняющих токсичных веществ. Разработана шкала оценки загрязнения депонирующих сред по суммарному показателю концентрации тяжелых металлов, согласно которой в Биробиджане выявлено 5 уровней загрязнения снежного покрова. В целом экологическое состояние урбанизированной территории признано неудовлетворительным (8 площади территории относится к очень высокому, 14 к высокому, 21 к выше среднему, 27 к среднему уровням загрязнения, 30 к относительно чистым районам города). По полученным результатам разработана карта в программе ArcView GIS Экологогеохимическое районирование территории г. Биробиджана по уровню загрязнения снежного покрова с выделением наиболее загрязненных участков (70 от общей площади города является загрязненной). По результатам проведенных исследований предложены конструктивные методы планирования урбанизированной территории с целью улучшения ее экологического состояния: проведение геомониторинга (контроль загрязнения снежного покрова и своевременный его вывоз на специально оборудованные полигоны). Snow cover is taken as an indicator of air quality using Birobidzhan, a middlesize city in the Russian Far East, as a case study. The main natural and manmade determinants influencing the ecological state of the urban area in winter are identified: climate, a planning structure, and the stationary and mobile sources of pollution. During the heating season the emission of major pollutants exceeds the summer level by 6.5 times. The geochemical study of snow cover was performed at 60 experimental sites in different functional urban areas. A significant excess of heavy metals over the regional background level was revealed: iron up to 60 times, manganese up to 50, copper up to 40, zinc up to 20 , nickel up to 12, lead up to 10, cobalt up to 6 times. From 2003 to 2018 the content of chemical elements in snow increased in 2 times due to the mobile sources of pollution, thermal power plants, and boilers. The comparative characteristic of accumulation of heavy metals in snow for 2003 and 2018 is carried out, and the ranked number of polluting toxic substances is established. The scale of pollution assessment in depositing environments was developed using the cumulative indicator of heavy metal concentration. Five levels of snow cover pollution are found in Birobidzhan: low, moderate, above moderate, high and very high. As a whole, the ecological state of the urban area is considered as unsatisfactory (8 of the area with a very high level of pollution, 14 with high, 21 above moderate, 27 a moderate level of pollution, 30 a relatively clean area). According to the results, a map was developed in the ArcView GIS program Ecological and geochemical zoning of Birobidzhan, using the level of the snow cover pollution with the allocation of the most polluted areas (70 of the total area of the city is polluted). According to the results, a constructive method of planning in an urban area is proposed in order to improve its environmental condition: geomonitoring as a control of pollution in snow cover and its prompt removal to specially equipped landfills.


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