Beyond the Trail—Understanding Non-Native Plant Invasions in Mountain Ecosystems
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In: Global Ecology and Biogeography, Vol. 34, No. 6, e70060, 06.2025.
Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Beyond the Trail—Understanding Non-Native Plant Invasions in Mountain Ecosystems
AU - Barros, Agustina
AU - Fuentes Lillo, Eduardo
AU - Aschero, Valeria
AU - Pauchard, Aníbal
AU - Alvarez, María Alisa
AU - Wedegärtner, Ronja
AU - Clavel, Jan
AU - Müllerová, Jana
AU - Pergl, Jan
AU - Zong, Shengwei
AU - Vítková, Michaela
AU - Klinerová, Tereza
AU - Cavieres, Lohengrin A.
AU - Larson, Christian
AU - Rew, Lisa J.
AU - Seipel, Tim
AU - Meffre, Chloe
AU - Arellano, Tomas
AU - Essl, Franz
AU - Dullinger, Stefan
AU - Gwate, Onalenna
AU - Clark, V. Ralph
AU - Achermann, Marc
AU - Haider, Sylvia
AU - Lembrechts, Jonas J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s). Global Ecology and Biogeography published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
PY - 2025/6
Y1 - 2025/6
N2 - Aim: We aimed to examine the abiotic, biotic and anthropogenic drivers of non-native plant species distribution along hiking trails in mountainous regions. Location: Nine mountain regions across six continents, including North America (USA), South America (Argentina and Chile), Europe (Sweden, Norway, Czech Republic), Africa (South Africa), Asia (China) and Oceania (Australia). Time Period: Data were collected between 2016 to 2022 during the summer season. Major Taxa Studied: Vascular plants. Methods: We implemented a standardised sampling design (MIREN trail survey) with T-shaped sample sites placed parallel to trails and perpendicular to adjacent vegetation. We examined the main drivers (abiotic, biotic and anthropogenic factors) affecting non-native species' presence, richness and cover. Results: At the global scale, abiotic (climatic) variables explained most of the variation in non-native species richness. In contrast, biotic factors were the most important for the presence and cover of non-native plants. Anthropogenic factors, including distance to the trail, use intensity and livestock grazing, were also important but to a lesser extent than the main factors. While the total number of non-native species differed across regions, the patterns explaining plant invasions were consistent. Main Conclusions: Our regional study identified mountain trails that are particularly vulnerable to plant invasions. Our findings suggest that under future scenarios of climate change, increased anthropogenic pressure and heightened livestock activity, the presence of non-native species beyond trail edges may become more frequent. This highlights the need to restrict off-trail activities in areas of high conservation value.
AB - Aim: We aimed to examine the abiotic, biotic and anthropogenic drivers of non-native plant species distribution along hiking trails in mountainous regions. Location: Nine mountain regions across six continents, including North America (USA), South America (Argentina and Chile), Europe (Sweden, Norway, Czech Republic), Africa (South Africa), Asia (China) and Oceania (Australia). Time Period: Data were collected between 2016 to 2022 during the summer season. Major Taxa Studied: Vascular plants. Methods: We implemented a standardised sampling design (MIREN trail survey) with T-shaped sample sites placed parallel to trails and perpendicular to adjacent vegetation. We examined the main drivers (abiotic, biotic and anthropogenic factors) affecting non-native species' presence, richness and cover. Results: At the global scale, abiotic (climatic) variables explained most of the variation in non-native species richness. In contrast, biotic factors were the most important for the presence and cover of non-native plants. Anthropogenic factors, including distance to the trail, use intensity and livestock grazing, were also important but to a lesser extent than the main factors. While the total number of non-native species differed across regions, the patterns explaining plant invasions were consistent. Main Conclusions: Our regional study identified mountain trails that are particularly vulnerable to plant invasions. Our findings suggest that under future scenarios of climate change, increased anthropogenic pressure and heightened livestock activity, the presence of non-native species beyond trail edges may become more frequent. This highlights the need to restrict off-trail activities in areas of high conservation value.
KW - anthropogenic use
KW - global protocols
KW - MIREN
KW - monitoring
KW - mountains
KW - plant invasions
KW - trails
KW - Biology
KW - Ecosystems Research
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105007903166&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/geb.70060
DO - 10.1111/geb.70060
M3 - Journal articles
AN - SCOPUS:105007903166
VL - 34
JO - Global Ecology and Biogeography
JF - Global Ecology and Biogeography
SN - 1466-822X
IS - 6
M1 - e70060
ER -