Impacts of Xanthium strumarium invasion on vascular plant diversity in Pothwar region (Pakistan)

Segun Osunkoya and colleagues have published “Impacts of Xanthium strumarium invasion on vascular plant diversity in Pothwar region (Pakistan)” in Annali di Botanica. Studies on the impacts of alien plants help to understand the extent of biological invasion. This study assessed the impact of Xanthium strumarium (Noogoora burr or close relative) invasion on native plant diversity in the Pothwar region of Pakistan following its  introduction from Afghanistan during the Afghan War. The approach used random samplings in invaded and non-invaded plots under the same habitat conditions to compare species frequency, species richness, species evenness, the Shannon diversity index and the Simpson index of dominance. Control plots harboured more species, were more diverse and showed a higher floristic richness than invaded plots and, at multivariate scale, there were significant differences between invaded and control plots. Plant communities become less biodiverse after invasion by Xanthium strumarium making this weed a candidate for appropriate control.

Qureshi, H., Anwar, T., Arshad, M., Osunkoya, O.O. and Adkins, S.W. 2019. Impacts of Xanthium strumarium L. invasion on vascular plant diversity in Pothwar region (Pakistan). Annali di Botanica 9: 73-82.