Dear Colleagues,

The study of alien and invasive species is one of the areas of greatest interest to researchers working in the fields of biodiversity, molecular biology, ecology and environmental conservation. Despite the thousands of scientific papers being published each year summarizing the various aspects of plant invasions, some topical issues and particular groups of plants receive considerably less attention from researchers. The aim of this Special Issue is therefore to encourage researchers to publish research results that address the following topics in alien and invasive plant species:

(1) Adaptation of species to new environmental conditions at different spatial (population, community, habitat, ecosystem, geographic or biogeographic region, continent, world) and temporal scales;

(2) Mechanisms and consequences of the impact of invasive species on populations and habitats of threatened native plant species;

(3) Ecological, trophic, and mutualistic relationships of alien plant species with other native and alien organisms (bacteria, fungi, plants, animals);

(4) Micro-evolutionary processes in populations of alien and invasive plant species;

(5) Hybridization of alien plant species with native congeners, its impact on native species populations, and assessment of current and potential threats.

Dr. Zigmantas Gudžinskas
Dr. Kevin Cianfaglione
Guest Editors

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• adaptations
• communities
• dispersal
• ecosystems
• habitats
• hybridization
• micro-evolution
• mutualistic relationships
• populations
• spatial scale
• temporal scale
• trophic relationships

Reproductive traits of invasive Rosa rugosa (Rosaceae) in coastal and inland habitats

Mindaugas Rasimavičius¹, Martynas Kazlauskas², Laurynas Taura³, Zigmantas Gudžinskas³

1 Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Institute of Biosciences, Saulėtekio Av. 7, 10257 Vilnius, Lithuania

2 Šiauliai Academy of Vilnius University, Institute of Regional Development, P. Višinskio Str. 25, 76352 Šiauliai, Lithuania

3 Institute of Botany, Nature Research Centre, Žaliųjų Ežerų Str. 47, 12200 Vilnius, Lithuania

Abstract

Rosa rugosa (Rosaceae), a shrub native to East Asia, is one of the most invasive species in Europe, posing a serious threat to the diversity and stability of coastal habitats. Nevertheless, it increasingly invades inland grasslands and sandy habitats. Rosa rugosa spreads locally and forms large stands through vegetative reproduction by long rhizomes, while new areas are invaded by individuals originating from seeds. The aim of this research was to estimate the variation in R. rugosa reproductive traits (hip size, total hip weight, weight of hip flesh, weight and number of seeds and seed weight) within and among populations from coastal and inland habitats. Field studies we performed all over the territory of Lithuania in 14 populations, occurring in coastal dune, inland grassland and woodland habitats. The results of this study revealed significant variation in R. rugosa reproductive traits among the studied populations. Most of the reproductive traits in inland populations, except these occurring in woodland habitats, were significantly profound than corresponding values in coastal habitats. Coastal populations according to the studied traits were similar in Europe, but hips were larger in the invasive range than in the native range. Results of this study confirmed that invasive R. rugosa in most of inland populations occurring in dry and mesic grassland habitats perform better than most of the studied populations in coastal habitats. Therefore, we suppose that inland habitats are favourable for R. rugosa, and it has a great potential for further invasion into dry and mesic grasslands causing serious threat to their stability and biodiversity.