Alien species of Poaceae Barnhart family in communities of South-East Europe saline soils

Abstract

The paper considers the introduction of alien species of Poaceae Barnhart family into plant communities of South-East Europe salted habitats. In the region only two cosmopolitan alien members of this family - Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) P. Beauv. (archaeophyte of South Asian origin, ksenophyte, epecophyte) and Setaria pumila (Poir.) Roem. et Schult. (archaeophyte of East Asian origin, ksenophyte, epecophyte) - are registered on the specified ecotope type, but very limited both synthaxonomically (number of lower units) and geographically (only in the Lower Volga region - the Volga Delta and the south of Volga-Akhtuba flood-plain). Echinochloa crus-galli invades on saline habitats most actively, in some communities it can be both a constant and a rather abundant species but, most likely, is able to influence significantly the formation of only individual coenoses of a number of associations. Both species are registered in communities of associations distributed on soils of a full range of a salinity degree (both weak- and strongly-salted). Compared to associations on strongly salted soils, they slightly strengthen their positions in these ones with weakly salted soils - both species are registered there more often, and Echinochloa crus-galli is even more plentifully.