The most common plant species in temperate Europe based on frequency of occurrences in the national grid mapping projects

Abstract

AbstractThe lists of the top 100 most common plant species in the floras of nine regions (northern Scotland, southern England, southern Germany, northern Germany, Poland, Estonia, Vladimir Oblast (Russia) with Norway and Switzerland forming an outer group) were analyzed. These lists are based on either national or regional floristic grid mapping projects. The general ranking of species within the united list is based on two criteria – the number of floras where the species is one of the top 100 most common species and the sum of ranks within these floras. Trifolium repens, Achillea millefolium, and Urtica dioica should be regarded as the most common native species all over temperate Europe, while Matricaria discoidea and Erigeron canadensis are the most successful aliens here. The alien plant species contribute significantly less in the European flora and vegetation rather than the most successful natives (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)