Abstract
Tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima) is one of the most dangerous and widespread invasive woody plant species in Europe. Despite the fact that A. altissima is in the focus of an increasing number of research projects, the impact of its mass spread on native vegetation, its diversity, and changes in soil quality are still incomplete. The current study addresses the effects of this invasive species on plant diversity and soil parameters simultaneously. The main objective of our research is to determine the impact of cover and mass of A. altissima on the diversity of each forest layer; the examined soil parameters and on other selected environmental variables. For botanical and pedological investigations we selected nine A. altissima-dominated sites in Central Europe, in the Pannonian Biogeographical Region. Based on our results, it can be stated that fully grown A. altissima-dominated stands can displace other taxa by their shading and allelopathy, thereby reducing canopy layer diversity. The increase in the species richness of the shrub layer had a positive correlation with the diversity of the floor layer and also with the humus and ammonia content of the soil. As the diversity of shrub layer and floor layer positively correlated with many soil parameters, the diverse vegetation of these layers can represent a potential opportunity for the regeneration of areas infected with A. altissima.
Highlights
Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle is currently one of the most dangerous invasive woody plant species in Europe [1,2,3] and is included in the list of invasive alien species of European Union concern [4]
Among the study sites of the larger group, Land 2021, 10, x FOR PEER REVIEW the Tököl (TL) area was separated from the other study sites by Populus canadensis,6wohf i1c1h predominated at the uppermost canopy layer, while the Isaszeg (I) site was separated from the other sites by the prevalence of nitrophilous Bromus sterilis
Based on the mass conditions of A. altissima observed in the canopy layer (Figure 2), it can be assumed that the A. altissima trees in the floor layer and shrub layer already came from the internal propagation pool of the stand
Summary
Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle is currently one of the most dangerous invasive woody plant species in Europe [1,2,3] and is included in the list of invasive alien species of European Union concern [4] This species is native in Northeast and Central China, as well as Korea, but its synanthropic area currently includes temperate and Mediterranean climates on five continents [5]. Aggressive spread, and allelopathic properties, A. altissima displaces the potential species of the given habitat, affecting the composition of the vegetation, and its diversity It causes increasing ecological damage in both protected and non-protected areas, as has been confirmed by several studies [6,7,8,9,10]. A Central European study showed that in A. altissima stands disturbance tolerant species, generalists, and weed species are common, but even alien competitors (according to Borhidi’s social behaviour types of plant species) appear [11,12]
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