The potential of common ragweed for further spread: invasibility of different habitats and the role of disturbances and propagule pressure

摘要: The infilling of existing suitable habitats within a landscape after establishment is critical importance for the final outcome plant invasion, yet it an often overlooked process. Common ragweed, Ambrosia artemisiifolia, invasive annual species in Europe causing serious problems due to its highly allergenic pollen and as agricultural weed. Recent studies have modelled broad-scale distribution assessed future invasion risk, but predicting expected ragweed we also need mechanistic understanding local success. We conducted field experiment investigate invasibility eight common non-arable habitat types role soil disturbance central Hungary, hot spot Europe. Seed addition alone resulted negligible amount biomass, except sites where was part present management. Soil at those few seeds were seed bank, related farming recent decades. When combined, emerged all reached high biomass closed forests. As our showed that most when disturbed, conclude has potential further spread, even this heavily infested region. Management should focus on preventing dispersal eradicating establishing populations still absent, while reducing may be needed avoid emergence sites. This latter require reconsideration land-use practices regions.