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Soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) is a legume crop important for global food security due to supplying high-quality vegetable protein and oil. China is the origin and rich center of soybean genetic diversity represented by numerous landraces and other genetic resources. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, world-wide dissemination of plant introductions laid the foundation of modern soybean production. Due to selection for regional adaptation, present-day elite soybean cultivars do have a comparatively narrow genetic base. However, as genetic variation is the major component of future breeding progress, diversity of early maturity Chinese and European elite soybeans was comparatively analyzed using a high-throughput functional SNP array and an SSR marker set. Results revealed a clear differentiation between Chinese and European elite cultivars, and the level of genetic diversity was similar between the two populations. Both in Chinese and European cultivars, unique SSR alleles were found which indicates that selection for specific adaptation can preserve genetic variation. The European population was markedly structured by maturity groups which was less clear in the Chinese population. Structure analysis indicated that European cultivars are based on two major ancestral lines, whereas Chinese elite soybean cultivars trace back to more ancestral lines pointing to the rich natural soybean diversity of China. The results confirm that long-term selection under divergent environmental and agronomic conditions can produce specific diversity which could potentially be utilized for future enhancing both Chinese and European soybean breeding.

The first inventory of casual and naturalised alien plants of Kyrgyzstan is based on an overview of published data, which were re-assessed and re-evaluated using modern standards. Altogether, 151 alien species were registered in the country, of which nearly 40% became naturalised. The total number of alien plant species and the proportion of casual aliens are relatively low due to the harsh climatic conditions (high aridity and continentality) and predominantly high elevations. The highest number of alien plant species in Kyrgyzstan originated from the Mediterranean, which can be explained by some common climatic features between this area and Central Asia, but half of the ten most harmful aliens originated from the Americas. The intensity of plant invasions was the greatest during the period of the Russian Empire and the USSR, and this rapid accumulation of alien plants continues in independent Kyrgyzstan. The uneven distribution of alien plants in Kyrgyzstan is explained by different elevations and climatic conditions across its regions, as well as by the concentration of agricultural activities and human population along warm lowland depressions. More research is required to uncover pathways and particular times of introduction and to produce detailed distribution maps.

Ornamental horticulture is the most important pathway for alien plant introductions worldwide, and consequently, invasive spread of introduced plants often begins in urban areas. Although most introduced ornamental garden-plant species are locally not naturalized yet, many of them have shown invasion potential elsewhere in the world, and might naturalize when climate changes. We inventoried the planted flora of 50 public and 61 private gardens in Radolfzell, a small city in southern Germany, to investigate whether local naturalization success of garden plants is associated with their current planting frequency, climatic suitability (as assessed with climatic niche modelling) and known naturalization status somewhere in the world. We identified 954 introduced garden-plant species, of which 48 are already naturalized in Radolfzell and 120 in other parts of Germany. All currently naturalized garden plants in Radolfzell have a climatic suitability probability of ≥ 0.75 and are naturalized in ≥ 13 out of 843 regions globally. These values are significantly higher than those of garden plants that have not become locally naturalized yet. Current planting frequencies, however, were not related to current naturalization success. Using the identified local naturalization thresholds of climatic suitability and global naturalization frequency, and climate projections for the years 2050 and 2070, we identified 45 garden-plant species that are currently not naturalized in Radolfzell but are likely to become so in the future. Although our approach cannot replace a full risk assessment, it is well-suited and applicable as one element of a screening or horizon scanning-type approach.

Preserving the dwindling native biodiversity in urban settings poses escalating challenges due to the confinement of remaining natural areas to isolated and diminutive patches. Remarkably scarce research has scrutinised the involvement of institutions, particularly universities, in introducing alien plant species in South Africa, thus creating a significant gap in effective monitoring and management. In this study, the Tshwane University of Technology in Tshwane Metropole, South Africa serves as a focal point, where we conducted a comprehensive survey of alien plants both within the university premises and beyond its confines. The investigation involved the classification of invasion status and a meticulous assessment of donor and recipient dynamics. Our findings encompass 876 occurrence records, revealing the presence of 94 alien plant species spanning 44 distinct families. Noteworthy occurrences among the dominant plant families are Asteraceae and Solanaceae. Herbaceous and woody plants emerged as the most prevalent alien species, with common representation across both sampling sites. A substantial majority of recorded species were initially introduced for horticultural purposes (51%) before escaping and establishing self-sustaining populations (62%). Furthermore, 43 species identified are listed in South African invasive species legislation, with some manifesting invasive tendencies and altering the distribution of native species in the remaining natural areas. The notable overlap in species observed between the university premises and adjacent areas provides crucial insights into the influence of institutions on the dynamics of plant invasions within the urban landscape. This underscores the prevailing gaps in the management of invasive alien plants in urban zones and accentuates the imperative of an integrated approach involving collaboration between municipalities and diverse institutions for effective invasive species management in urban environments.

Plants have always been important for the Indigenous Peoples of Northwestern North America. Collectively, these peoples named and used hundreds of different native plant species, along with diverse animal species. When traders and settlers from Europe and other parts of the world arrived in the region, they brought many new species of plants with them. Some (e.g., turnips (Brassica rapa) and onions (Allium cepa)), were from Europe, and some (e.g., potatoes (Solanum tuberosum)) were from South America or elsewhere. Other plants, like dandelion, Taraxacum officinale, probably arrived unintentionally, as weeds. Examining the ways in which the Indigenous Peoples have incorporated these new species into their lexicons and lifestyles provides insight into processes of acquiring and embracing new products and expanding the cultural knowledge base for human societies in general.

Knowing which species will become invasive has been the holy grail of invasion biology. A survey of woody plants was conducted in 2001 on an island (Isla Victoria) where 135 non-native woody plant species had been introduced 80 years previously. The survey showed that nearly 10% of introduced species had spread further than 100 m from the original sites. For some introduced species on this island longer time lags between introduction and invasion (or further spread) could be at play. To test if new invasions have begun since the original survey or if ongoing invasions have spread further, we repeated the survey a decade later. The proportion of introduced species that became invasive did not increase between surveys, suggesting that longer time lags may not reveal major invasions from new species on this island. However, we found that the relative frequency of taller individuals (above 2 m) has increased, suggesting a change in age structure of these invasive populations. Further, we found that woody invader densities and maximum heights have increased since the original survey, suggesting that woody plant invasion is progressing, and for some species even accelerating. These results highlight the importance of research on how long invasions of long-lived woody plants can take, providing key data to guide long-term monitoring of sites with multiple non-native plant introductions.

Aim The introduction of exotic plants can both increase (homogenize) and decrease (differentiate) floristic similarity between areas. We have a poor understanding of the degree to which plant species introductions tend to homogenize or differentiate floras, and relevant studies covering large spatial extent are scarce. China has been heavily invaded by exotic plants. Here, we analyse a comprehensive dataset of vascular plants to determine whether the introduction of exotic plant species has homogenized or differentiated species composition in regions across China. Location China. Methods We calculated the Jaccard index and Simpson index of similarity for each pair of province‐level regions for native and exotic species separately and jointly, and calculated a homogenization index for each pair of regional floras. We correlated species richness of native and exotic plants to climatic factors, and correlated the Jaccard index and Simpson index to geographic and climatic distances. We used variation partitioning analysis to determine the relative importance of geographic and climatic distances on species turnover. We also examined the effect of human population density on florisitic similarity of exotic species. Results We found that the geographic range of each species was, on average, larger for exotics than for natives; floristic similarity between regions was greater for exotics than for natives; the vast majority of pairwise regional floras have been homogenized; the introduction of exotic species has caused stronger biotic homogenization for pairwise floras with greater dissimilarity in their species composition; geographic distributions of exotic and native species were determined by different sets of climatic factors; and distributions of exotic species were determined by climatic factors more strongly, compared to those of native species. Human population density had a moderate effect on florisitic similarity of exotic species. Main conclusions The introduction of exotic plant species has homogenized regional floras across China. Because strong international trades between China and other countries and dramatic development of transportation systems are continuing in China, which help spread of exotic species, we predict that exotic species will continue to spread and will strengthen biotic homogenization in China.

The Botanical Garden of Southern Federal University (SFedU Botanical Garden) is the first botanical garden in the steppe zone of southern Russia, founded in 1927. The priority task of the SFedU Botanical Garden was the introduction of woody plants for greenery and forestry. It has been shown that the introduction of woody plants was the root cause of their invasion in the region. A total of 24 species of invasive trees and shrubs have been identified in the Priazovsky district of the Rostov region. Using species with high seed reproductive capacity and resistance to climatic factors to expand the range of woody plants used for greenery in urban areas poses a real threat of invasion. Thus, 83 species spread spontaneously from the SFedU Botanical Garden collections across its territory, 50 of which are not currently found in the regional culture. An important step in the management of invasive woody plants is for municipalities to adopt basic assortment lists for greening purposes. The SFedU Botanical Garden’s collection policy for woody plants should focus on reducing the number of species in living plant collections by removing species that self-seed and currently have no scientific, educational, or practical use. These species can be stored in a seed bank for future use. The introduction policy of the SFedU Botanical Garden should be aimed at mobilizing and introducing species that are not only highly resilient and effective in providing ecosystem services, but also possess properties that limit their invasion.

Movements of organisms through distinct places can change the dynamics of ecological interactions and make the habitat conducive to the spread of diseases. Faced with a cyclical scenario of invasions and threats in a One Health context, we conducted a scientometric study to understand how disturbances in environments with invaded vegetation affect the incidence of parasites and disease prevalence rates. The search was carried out in Web of Science and Scopus databases, with keywords delimited by Boolean operators and based on the PRISMA protocol. Thirty-sixarticles were full-read to clarify the interaction between diseases and invaded areas. The analysis covered publications from 2005 to 2022, with a considerable increase in the last ten years and a significant participation of the USA on the world stage. Trends were found in scientific activities, and we explored how invasive species can indirectly damage health, as higher concentrations of pathogens, vectors, and hosts were related to structurally altered communities. This paper reveals invaded plants threats that enhance disease transmission risks. It is likely that, with frequent growth in the number of introduced species worldwide due to environmental disturbances and human interventions, the negative implications will be intensified in the coming years.

Comparative study of phenolic compound composition was performed by HPLC-UV and HPLC-MS techniques using raw materials of Hedysarum alpinum L. plants introduced into the dendrological ecosystem of the Siberian Botanical Garden of Tomsk State University as well as the callus culture of the same species. The callus culture of Hedysarum alpinum was obtained on Murashige and Skoog nutrient medium with the addition of 1.0 mg/L 2,4-D and 0.1 mg/L 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BAP) and was subsequently cultivated on the medium containing α-NAA (2.0 mg/L) and 6-BAP (0.5 mg/L). The culture was characterized by activated phenylpropanoid pathway, which gave rise to the formation of flavonoids, isoflavones, xanthones, and other substances. The total content of flavonoids (calculated on a per quercetin basis) and formononetin in the extracts of callus culture was lower than in the extracts from introduced plants by 35 and 11%, respectively, whereas the content of mangiferin in callus extracts was more than 50% higher than in the extracts of aerial plant parts.