Beyond the Trail—Understanding Non‐Native Plant Invasions in Mountain Ecosystems

ABSTRACT 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.

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Publication Details

Journal
Global Ecology and Biogeography
Published
2025-05-30
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.70060
Citations
6
Primary Topic
Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
13.88

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article

Beyond the Trail—Understanding Non‐Native Plant Invasions in Mountain Ecosystems

Franz Essl, Christian D. Larson, Lisa J. Rew, Michaela Vítková et al.
6 citations
Global Ecology and Biogeography
Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
13.88
article

Beyond the Trail—Understanding Non‐Native Plant Invasions in Mountain Ecosystems

Franz Essl, Christian D. Larson, Lisa J. Rew, Michaela Vítková, Eduardo Fuentes‐Lillo, Ronja E. M. Wedegärtner, Onalenna Gwate, Jonas J. Lembrechts, Valeria Aschero, María Alisa Alvarez, Tereza Klinerová, Jana Müllerová, Tim Seipel, Sylvia Haider, Jan Clavel, Jan Pergl, Lohengrin A. Cavieres, Agustina Barros, Stefan Dullinger, Aníbal Pauchard, Vincent Ralph Clark, Shengwei Zong, Chloe Meffre, Tomas Arellano, Marc Achermann
article en
6 citations

Abstract

ABSTRACT 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.

Global Ecology and BiogeographyVol. 34(6)
Leuphana University of Lüneburg (DE), University of Vienna (AT), University of Tasmania (AU), University of Antwerp (BE), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (AR), Universidad Nacional de Cuyo (AR), University of Concepción (CL), Northeast Normal University (CN), Utrecht University (NL), Montana State University (US), University of the Free State (ZA), Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem (CZ), Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity (CL), Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Botany (CZ), The FRAM Centre (NO)
Neotropical Grassland Conservancy, Technology Agency of the Czech Republic, City of Hobart, Biodiversa+, University of Tasmania, National Research Foundation, Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, Akademie Věd České Republiky, Universiteit van die Vrystaat, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Università di Bologna, Vlaamse regering, Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo, Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico
Openalex Percentile: Top 1%
Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
13.88
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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