List Of Plant Species Research Articles

Drivers of plant biodiversity on cemeteries in the Ruhr Metropolitan Region (W Germany)

Cemeteries are biodiversity hotspots in urban areas, while the drivers of their floristic diversity are poorly understood. We investigated 153 cemeteries in the western Ruhr Metropolitan Region and generated comprehensive species lists of wild plants. Altogether, we found 964 species, equivalent to 53.6% of the flora known from the region. Cluster analysis revealed five distinct cemetery types based on their species composition and prevalence. Subsequently, we used ANOVAs to relate the most effective environmental descriptors identified with a CCA to the five clusters, thus revealing the drivers of species composition. Two of the main clusters had clear regional foci, which could be explained by soil types, while the third main cluster included most of the large cemeteries with many different habitat types, and encompassed sites from the entire study region. Here, the number of species is highest. Two smaller clusters included old historic and Jewish cemeteries, respectively, which were characterized by a smaller number of neophytes and heat indicators. Through the various functional types, the cemeteries contribute to the biodiversity of urban areas like the Ruhr Metropolitan Region and thus counteract the floristic homogenization of cities.

Description of a relict aspen parkland-associated grassland in the Peace River region of British Columbia, Canada

The aspen parkland-associated grasslands of the Peace River region, British Columbia (BC), have been severely reduced in area, primarily because of agricultural and urban development. In this region, the species composition of plant communities is similar to that of prairie grasslands and is topographically influenced, occurring primarily on warm-aspect slopes along the Peace River and some of its tributaries. Historical records show that non-forested grass- and sedge-dominated plant communities occurred on flat and gently rolling terrain in a parkland ecosystem near what are now the communities of Dawson Creek and Fort St. John. The Peace grasslands are not represented in BC’s biogeoclimatic ecosystem classification, perhaps leading to their neglect in regional natural resource management and conservation planning. Here, I describe the vascular plant community of a level-terrain relict aspen parkland-associated grassland in the Peace River region. Its species composition differs from nearby warm-aspect grasslands and includes provincially listed plant species. Increased awareness of grassland communities may support conservation, ecosystem restoration, and climate change adaptation in the southern boreal region of BC.

Spatial organisation of the soil macrofauna community of an oak forest in the steppe zone of Ukraine

Background. Environmental impact assessments and the development of measures for the protection and sustainable use of ecosystems should take into account that not only steppe ecosystems but also forest, marsh, salt marsh and meadow ecosystems are referenced for the steppe zone. A comparative approach requires the study of reference ecosystems to understand how much a particular ecosystem has been transformed or how far it is from natural patterns in the restoration process. The soil macrofaunal community of the forest ecosystem of the right bank of the Samara River can be considered a reference for many forest ecosystems in the region. The aim of this study was to identify patterns of spatial organization of the soil macrofaunal community of an oak forest on the right bank of the Samara River. Materials and Methods. A study was conducted in a deciduous woodland located in an oak forest on the right bank of the Samara River. The study area was divided into 5 transects, each consisting of 20 sampling points with a 2 m distance between rows. The samples of the soil macrofauna were taken from a single block of soil that was 25×25×30 cm deep and removed quickly. Vascular plant species lists were recorded for each 2×2 m subplot. The soil penetration resistance and electrical conductivity were measured. Soil faunal trophic activity was assessed by means of a bait lamina test. Results and Discussion. The spatial structure of the community is complex in terms of hierarchy. The driver of the broad-scale component of spatial variation in the community is the properties of the topsoil, mainly the density of the litter. Vegetation cover forms a broad component of the spatial variation in soil macrofauna. An important factor in structuring ecological space is the location of trees. The pure spatial pattern is represented by broad-, medium-, and fine-scale components. Conclusion. The soil macrofaunal community of an oak forest on the slope of the right bank of a steppe river has a high level of abundance and taxonomic and ecological diversity. The spatial distribution of trees forms a broad-scale component of variation in the soil macrofaunal community, and herbaceous cover forms a medium-scale component. The fine-scale component of community variation is due to neutral factors.

A Systematic Review on the Distribution of Invasive Plant Species Across Asia: Assessing the Rates of Invasion Success and Management

The advancement of invasive plant species in a particular environment is threatening across Asia. When they are introduced, they could have a variety of different negative effects, either as minor inconveniences or a severe problem. The aim of this review is to compile a list of invasive plant species across Asia and organize a set of data according to their reproduction rates, growth rates, dispersal rates, and characterize the allelochemicals they produce and allelopathic effects they have on their environment. The target is to know the extent of their spread ability in the area that they inhibit and know what control measures can be done with that specific species. The data has been gathered by compiling research articles and obtaining pertinent data relating to the objective. This review also utilized the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist to confirm the credibility of the collected references. To achieve the needed references, keywords such as "distribution", "invasive", and "Asia" have been used to search for these on search engines and research journals such as Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, ResearchGate, and Directory for Open Access Journals, to be then compiled in spreadsheets and document files. The results show that the growth rate of these species varies from 7.5-60 cm per year, where Ipomoea eberhardtii has the highest growth rate of 60 cm per year. The dispersal rates of the species ranges from 0.002-2592 km from the parent plant, where animal mediated, water, and wind dispersal methods are the primary vector to spread. Allelopathic effects produced by the allelochemicals present mostly inhibit growth and seed germination. There are already implemented approaches to control these species, where biological control, physical means, and the use of chemicals are the most used strategies. In different dynamic processes, physical and chemical control measures are most utilized in this case.

A dataset of the plant species list across typical nature reserves in Fengtai District, Beijing during 2021–2022

Plants serve as the core elements of nature reserves as well as the fundamental resources for preserving ecosystem functions, including biodiversity. In this paper, using the findings from field surveys of plants in 2021 and 2022, we compiled a dataset of the plant species list for four typical nature reserves (i.e. Nanyuan Forest and Wetland Park, Lüdi Park, Lotus Pond Park, and Beigong National Forest Park) in Fengtai District, Beijing. This dataset includes 255 species of 179 genera across 73 families of tree, shrub, and herbaceous plant species. In addition, the dataset contains information such as the nature reserve name, family Chinese name, scientific name, genus Chinese name, genus scientific name, plant species name, and Latin name, etc. Also a multi-source based flora database was integrated with literature and expert reviews to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the data. Through comprehensive mapping and monitoring of plant species in key nature reserves in Fengtai District, the dataset provides data support for research on the spatial and temporal patterns of biodiversity as well as the response of plants to natural and anthropogenic disturbances in Beijing.

Extracting secondary data from citizen science images reveals host flower preferences of the Mexican grass-carrying wasp Isodontia mexicana in its native and introduced ranges.

We investigated the plant-pollinator interactions of the Mexican grass-carrying wasp Isodontia mexicana-native to North America and introduced in Europe in the 1960s-through the use of secondary data from citizen science observations. We applied a novel data exchange workflow from two global citizen science platforms, iNaturalist and Pl@ntNet. Images from iNaturalist of the wasp were used to query the Pl@ntNet application to identify possible plant species present in the pictures. Simultaneously, botanists manually identified the plants at family, genus and species levels and additionally documented flower color and biotic interactions. The goals were to calibrate Pl@ntNet's accuracy in relation to this workflow, update the list of plant species that I. mexicana visits as well as its flower color preferences in its native and introduced ranges. In addition, we investigated the types and corresponding frequencies of other biotic interactions incidentally captured on the citizen scientists' images. Although the list of known host plants could be expanded, identifying the flora from images that predominantly show an insect proved difficult for both experts and the Pl@ntNet app. The workflow performs with a 75% probability of correct identification of the plant at the species level from a score of 0.8, and with over 90% chance of correct family and genus identification from a score of 0.5. Although the number of images above these scores may be limited due to the flower parts present on the pictures, our approach can help to get an overview into species interactions and generate more specific research questions. It could be used as a triaging method to select images for further investigation. Additionally, the manual analysis of the images has shown that the information they contain offers great potential for learning more about the ecology of an introduced species in its new range.

Botany of the Valley of Flowers National Park and its Environs

The Valley of Flowers National Park is in the Garhwal Himalayas and this paper provides a list of plant species found there with their flowering time, altitude range of distribution, habit vegetation, climate and topography. The rare plants deserving conservation have also been listed.

What is the effectiveness of methods for eradicating or controlling abundance and biomass of invasive aquatic plants in Canada? A systematic review protocol

Abstract Invasive freshwater aquatic plants can have adverse ecological effects on the systems to which they are introduced, changing ecosystem function, threatening native plant species and causing billions of dollars in damage to infrastructure. Additionally, once established, invasive aquatic plants are often difficult to eradicate or control. Given the importance of managing invasive aquatic plants, and the high associated economic costs of doing so, it is essential to determine the relative effectiveness of different control methods. Here, we present a protocol for a systematic review that will estimate the effectiveness of various biological, chemical, habitat manipulations and/or manual/mechanical methods for eradicating or controlling invasive plant abundance and biomass. This systematic review will use published and grey literature, without date restriction, that determines the effectiveness of invasive plant control methods. English‐language searches will be performed using five bibliographic databases, Google Scholar, and networking tools to find relevant literature. Eligibility screening will be conducted at two stages: (1) title and abstract and (2) full text. Studies that evaluate the effectiveness of methods for controlling the abundance or biomass or eradicating invasive plants will be included. A list of plant species currently, or potentially, in Canadian freshwater systems and of management concern will be considered. Included studies will undergo critical appraisal of internal study validity. We will extract information on study characteristics, intervention and comparator details, measured outcomes (abundance and biomass, broadly defined) and effect modifiers (e.g., plant growth pattern or timing of treatments). A narrative synthesis will be used to describe the quantity and characteristics of the evidence base, while quantitative synthesis (i.e., meta‐analysis) will be conducted to estimate an overall mean and variance of effect when sufficient numbers of similar studies are available.

In Situ Conservation of Dry Meadows

Grassland ecosystems are increasingly vulnerable as they are threatened by both intensive agriculture and abandonment of land use, which leads to overgrowth with scrub vegetation and forest. Given that meadows are habitat types of very high biodiversity, their loss significantly reduces local biodiversity. That is why the University Botanic Gardens Ljubljana has been renting a 2 ha dry meadow at the edge of Ljubljana capital city since 2001, for the purpose of in situ conservation in the urban area. We have been observing the meadow since 1997. In 2023, in addition to the complete inventory of species, we also carried out an inventory and analysis of the community in the meadow using the Braun–Blanquet method in 25 relevés. We recorded 163 plant species in the meadow during the entire growing season, and a total of 82 were recorded in the relevés. Eighteen of the species recorded are on the red list of protected plant species in Slovenia. In the relevés, 15 species types were constant (occurring in 60%) and as many as 21 were unique. The species Peucedanum oreoselinum (L.) Moench was recorded in all relevés (25), followed by the species Bromopsis erecta (Huds.) Fourr. (24), Galium verum L. (24), Briza media L. (23), Brachypodium pinnatum (L.) PB. (22) and Salvia pratensis L. (21).

Original plant diversity and ecosystems of a small, remote oceanic island (Corvo, Azores): Implications for biodiversity conservation

Remote islands harbour many endemic species and unique ecosystems. They are also some of the world's most human-impacted systems. It is essential to understand how island species and ecosystems behaved prior to major anthropogenic disruption as a basis for their conservation. This research aims to reconstruct the original, pre-colonial biodiversity of a remote oceanic island to understand the scale of past extinctions, vegetation changes and biodiversity knowledge gaps.We studied fossil remains from the North Atlantic island of Corvo (Azores), including pollen, charcoal, plant macrofossils, diatoms and geochemistry of wetland sediments from the central crater of the island, Caldeirão. A comprehensive list of current vascular plant species was compiled, along with a translation table comparing fossilized pollen to plant species and a framework for identifying extinctions and misclassifications.Pollen and macrofossils provide evidence for eight local extinctions from the island's flora and show that four species listed as ‘introduced’ are native. Up to 23 % of the pollen taxa represent extinct/misclassified species. Corvo's past environment was dynamic, shifting from glacial-era open vegetation to various Holocene forest communities, then almost completely deforested by fires, erosion and grazing following Portuguese colonisation. Historical human impacts explain high ecological turnover, several unrecorded extinctions and the present-day abundance of vegetation types like Sphagnum blanket mire.We use Corvo as a case study on how fossil inventories can address the Wallacean and Hookerian biodiversity knowledge gaps on remote islands. Accurate baselines allow stakeholders to make informed conservation decisions using limited financial and human resources, particularly on islands where profound anthropogenic disruption occurred before comprehensive ecological research.

An imprecise probability approach-based determination of over-represented southern African plant genera and families used in ethnopharmacology

Ethnopharmacological relevanceThe analyses of patterns of over-representation of southern African traditional medicinal plants at the genus and family level provide information about the differences in plant use among southern African countries and disease categories. ‘Over-representation’ refers to the phenomenon whereby the proportion of plants belonging to a taxonomic group is higher in ethnobotanical pharmacopoeia than in the total flora. Aim of the studyThis study aimed to use the Imprecise Dirichlet Model (IDM) to analyse data from ten southern African countries to establish how over-represented medicinal plant families compare with over-represented genera, how over-represented medicinal taxa differ among countries in this region of Africa, and how over-represented taxa differ among six major disease categories. Materials and methodsFloral data for the total species composition of each country were obtained from online databases. Medicinal plant species lists were generated from published surveys, inventories, and books. IDM calculations were executed using the inverse of the cumulative beta probability density function in Microsoft Excel™. Python programming language source code was used to calculate Pearson correlation (r) values and Jaccard coefficients (J). ResultsNine of forty-two over-represented medicinal plant families in southern Africa (group 1) do not have over-represented genera. Seven of the forty genera with the highest margins of over-representation belong to under-represented families. Nineteen of the forty-two over-represented families have margins of over-representation smaller than the cumulative margins of their over-represented genera. Groups of countries with similar overall flora (J ≥ 0.333) are Botswana and Namibia (group 2), Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe (group 3). The families and genera with the highest margins of over-representation are Loganiaceae and Albizia in group 1, Combretaceae and Vachellia in group 2, Dioscoreaceae and Senna in group 3, and Sapotaceae and Solanum in group 4 (South Africa). The families and genera with the highest margins of over-representation across disease categories are Ebenaceae and Albizia, Canellaceae and Dicoma, Combretaceae and Pterocelastrus, Ebenaceae and Bersama, Francoaceae and Erythrina, and Aristolochiaceae and Strychnos for plants used in the treatment of STIs, febrile and mosquito-vector diseases, microbial infections, pain, skin conditions, and female sexual/reproductive problems, respectively. ConclusionsGenus-level calculations are more efficient in generating taxonomic lists that can be used for ethnopharmacological investigations due to the exclusion of under-represented genera. Limiting the size of geographical areas from which medicinal plant lists are sampled and targeting plants used to treat specific types of disease prevents the underestimation of niche over-represented taxa.

AN OVERVIEW OF SOME MEDICINAL PLANT SPECIES COMMONLY USED AS TRADITIONAL MEDICINE IN BANGLADESH

Medicinal herbs have been utilized since the Vedic period. Approximately 75% of people in rural areas of Bangladesh utilize traditional medicines in some capacity. Bangladesh is the home to over 10,000 different varieties of medicinal plants. The use of herbal and ayurvedic medicines predates humankind. There is substantial evidence of the historical relationship between man and his hunt for pharmaceuticals in nature, including written records, surviving monuments, and even the first plant medicines. The use of plants as a source of research in the search for active compounds for medicine has been proven to have a significant scientific output. An analysis of the scientific literature indexed in various databases concerning medicinal plants clearly shows that in the last 20 years, progress has been rapid, with a peak in the last century. Although there is a vast list of beneficial plant species for humans, this review article attempted to concentrate on describing the traditional medical applications of a few chosen plant species in Bangladesh.

Plant conservation in protected areas in Vietnam: an analysis from the Threatened Species Lists

In order to guide national conservation policies, lists of nationally threatened plant species are a useful tool. To facilitate the national biodiversity commitments, Vietnam published a conservation management guide. We evaluated the application of these guidelines, focusing on the conservation programs within protected areas across the country. We sent a survey to management offices of 32 protected areas to assess the extent to which the threatened plant species lists have been used in official conservation efforts. We found that the IUCN Red List, the Vietnam Red Data Book and the national decrees are the principal guidelines for conservation prioritization. Besides describing characteristics of conservation programs for threatened plant species, we discovered that the species selected for the programs did not always adhere to the guidelines but showed more or less a rule of thumb in selecting species from lists. We highlight that this is not necessarily a bad implementation if taking into account the shortage of finance and maximizing the number of protected species. Thus, to enhance the utility of the lists for the conservation of threatened plant species, we advise users to recognize that the lists are not always updated, and to employ them as a reasonable reference rather than as the sole guideline.

An Ethnobotanical Survey of Poisonous Medicinal Plants in the Shouf Biosphere Reserve, Lebanon

Local communities of the Shouf Biosphere Reserve (SBR) have a long history of traditional use of medicinal plants. However, such use has sometimes been accompanied by toxicity symptoms. Therefore, this study aimed to document the ethnobotanical knowledge about the toxicity of medicinal plant species used by local people. Ethnobotanical information was collected during 2019-2021 using semi- structured questionnaires and personal interviews involving 133 local informants (68 women and 65 men with an average age of 58 years). The Frequency of Citation (FC) index was calculated from the data collected during the interviews, which allowed the generation of a list of poisonous plant species used to treat different diseases. The toxicity of highly cited species was discussed according to phytochemical profiles reported in the literature. The findings resulted in a list of 31 plant species from 22 botanical families, with Asteraceae, Euphorbiaceae, and Solanaceae being the most dominant. The most toxic plant species were Ecballium elaterium (L.) A.Rich (FC 11%), Sambucus ebulus L., Ricinus communis L., and Arum palaestinum Boiss. (each of FC 10%). Herbs were the most dominant life form of the cited species. The most toxic parts were the leaves (22% of citations), followed by whole plants and seeds (each 17%), and fruits (11%). Oral ingestion and skin contact were the main routes of toxicity. According to the published literature, toxicity can be primarily attributed to biochemical compounds, such as cucurbitacins, proteaceous glycoprotein, ricin, tropane alkaloids, atropine, cyanogenic glycosides, and pyrrolizidine alkaloids, among other compounds. This work highlights the importance of the traditional knowledge of poisonous plants used in folk medicine and the need for phytochemical and toxicological research. The development of regulatory measures on the use and trade of medicinal plants as well as raising awareness of practitioners and public are also deemed necessary.

Болотні оселища масиву Сира Погоня Рівненського природного заповідника та їхня созологічна оцінка

Solving the problem of conservation biodiversity and implementing the basics of sustainable development becomes possible under the condition of using the habitat concept of nature protection, in particular peatland ecosystems, as unique objects of the nature reserve fund. In the article, on the basis of own field research and literary data, the structure of the vegetation cover of the Syra Pogonia massif of the Rivnenskyi Nature Reserve is analysed and three types of peatland habitats are identified. The research was conducted during the growing seasons of 2020–2023, the territory was surveyed by route method; linear transects were laid within visually homogeneous areas of vegetation, on which 141 phytosociological relevés were made. Vegetation descriptions were made according to the ecological and floristic method and processed using the program TURBOVEG 2.0. To define the types of habitats, European and Ukrainian classification schemes were used, taking into account the peculiarities of the research area. The location of different types of habitats is plotted on the map of the studied territory. A description of habitat types is given, which consists of a list of plant species, in particular, diagnostic and rare, their syntaxa of different ranks, ecological features of biotopes, and threats to their existence are determined. A set of measures for the introduction of environmental management is proposed. As a result of research, it was established that the distribution of three types of habitats (raised bogs, drained raised bogs, transition mires and quaking bogs) on the territory of the Syra Pogonia peatland massif and their ecological characteristics indicate the high conservation value of their components (species and communities). The presence of degraded areas was established, probably as a result of both anthropogenic influence and climate changes, which requires the urgent implementation of environmental protection measures to restore their initial state. The obtained and generalized data can be used for the conservation of rare and endangered plant species and their communities and will be useful for the development of a methodology for ecological monitoring of the state of peatland ecosystems.

Plant communities on inselbergs in Burkina Faso

The safeguarding and sustainable management of natural resources, particularly plant resources, requires the implementation of conservation strategies. The study of plant communities is an essential tool for monitoring the development of plant formations. The aim of this study was to identify the plant communities on inselbergs of Burkina Faso in West Africa, to provide a database to supporting the sustainable management of the plant resources withing these fragile ecosystems. Stratified and random sampling was carried out on selected inselbergs in different parts of Burkina Faso along a climatic gradient. In the different phytogeographical sectors, inselbergs consist of granite or sandstone. Plant surveys were conducted using 900 m2 plots for the woody stratum and 100 m2 plots for the herbaceous stratum. An exhaustive list of plant species was compiled and an abundance-dominance coefficient for each species was determined. A DCA, through PCord.6, was used to obtain preliminary groups. Indicator species were determined by a Monte Carlo test with p < 0.05 and calculation of the fidelity index (Phi). Diversity indices through the Shannon index and equitability of Pielou were calculated using Pcord.6 to compare plant communities. A total of 12 plant communities were identified for the inselbergs of Burkina Faso, including 9 communities for savannah and 3 communities for monocotyledonous-mats and ephemeral flush vegetation. The main ecological factors governing the distribution of these inselberg plant communities were found to be were found to be climate, soil depth, soil moisture and altitude. In savannah plant communities, the Terminalia laxiflora and Tephrosia nana communities (unit 6) had the highest number (13) of diagnostic species and the highest fidelity (Phi = 0.97) was for Cleome viscosa species in the Acacia tortilis and Aristida kerstingii communities (unit 1). Diagnostic species numbers vary from 6 to 4 in monocotyledonous-mats and ephemeral flush vegetation and the Dopatrium longidens (Phi = 0.76) and Cyperus podocarpus (Phi = 0.75) have the highest fidelity to unit 3. The Shannon diversity index of deep soil plant communities was highest and significantly different from that of the other savannah communities. Concerning the Piélou equitability index, high values were found in all plant groups, reflecting the absence of species dominance and a balance of the different plant groups.Floristically, Afrotrilepis pilosa infestation of inselbergs is common in West Africa. In Burkina Faso, in addition to Afrotrilepis pilosa, 10 other plant species are found specifically on inselbergs. Given the fragility of the ecosystems in which they live, these inselberg species should be protected.

A proposal for updating the list of invasive alien plant species in Bosnia and Herzegovina

A proposal for updating the list of invasive alien plant species in Bosnia and Herzegovina

A phylogenetic evaluation of non‐random medicinal plants selection around an African biosphere reserve

Abstract Theory in ethnobiology suggests that the selection of medicinal plants by local people in a given region is not random and evolutionary closely related species may have similar medicinal uses. Additionally, plants selection by local people is often driven by plant therapeutic efficacy, plant availability, plant versatility or local knowledge on medicinal plants. We tested the hypothesis of non‐random selection of medicinal plants as well as the potential mechanisms explaining such non‐random plants selection. We also tested for phylogenetic signal in medicinal plants. Our study was based in four villages across Benin, West Africa, where the local communities have deep knowledge about medicinal plants. We installed 91 plots around these four villages to establish the total list of plant species and their abundance. We then conducted ethnobotanical surveys in the same villages to identify medicinal plants used in the local pharmacopoeia. To test whether the selection of medicinal plants used in the region was non‐random and whether plant selection was driven by plant therapeutic efficacy, plant availability, plant versatility or local knowledge, we used a generalized linear model. Furthermore, we used the D‐statistic to test whether evolutionary closely related species are more commonly used as medicinal than other species. We found support for non‐random medicinal plant selection. Such a non‐random plant selection was driven by plant medicinal versatility. Plant availability and secondary compounds have no significant influence on plant selection. Local people's knowledge on medicinal plants was significantly affected by individuals' literacy but not by their gender, their age or the ethnic group they belong to. We found a weak phylogenetic signal in medicinal plant uses. Our study reveals that the most used families are not necessarily the ones that have more secondary compounds or that are the most available to the local people, but are the most versatile plants. The high level of medicinal flora used at the local scale, which contrasts with the country‐level analysis found by previous studies, suggests new methodological guidance in testing the theory of non‐random medicinal plants selection. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Using Mediterranean Native Plants for the Phytoremediation of Mining Sites: An Overview of the Past and Present, and Perspectives for the Future.

Mining exploitation in the Mediterranean Basin has left evident scars on the environment, and poses serious risks for human health and biodiversity, especially when mine wastes are left abandoned. This review analysed the main issues of metal(loid)s pollution related to mine exploitation in the Mediterranean Basin. Here, a list of Mediterranean native plant species studied for phytoremediation is given and, considering their biological forms, vegetational types, and ecology, we categorised them into halotolerant and hydro/hygrophilous vegetation, annual and perennial meadows, garrigues and maquis, and high maquis and woods. The main conclusions of the review are as follows: (1) plant communities established on mine environments are often rich in endemic taxa which ensure a high biodiversity and landscape value, and can help in the psychophysical health of local inhabitants; (2) political and land management should take greater account of the use of native plants for the remediation of contaminated soils; (3) a multidisciplinary approach that includes, among others, studies on biochemical response to metal(loid)s as well as the application of innovative soil amendments gives better results; (4) phytoextraction applications require a detailed recovery plan that takes into consideration several issues, including the negative influence on biodiversity due to extensive use of monotypic plantations, disposal of harvested hazardous plants, and the risk of phytoextracts entering the food chain; and (5) more studies are necessary to increase knowledge and to detect suitable species-especially halophytic ones-for phytoremediation purposes.

Vascular Plant Species Inventory of Mexico's Revillagigedo National Park: Awareness of Alien Invaders as a Sine Qua Non Prerequisite for Island Conservation.

The Revillagigedo Archipelago, located in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, stands out for its unique biological richness and endemism. These islands remained uninhabited until the second half of the twentieth century, allowing a better conservation status than on other oceanic islands. However, the continuous introduction of potentially invasive alien plant species, and the lack of adequate control or eradication actions, jeopardize the conservation and restoration of these islands' fragile ecosystems. We present the most complete vascular plant species inventory and an updated list of alien plant species of the Revillagigedo Archipelago, which was compiled through an extensive review of national and international plant collections and other sources. Our 272 species list includes 106 alien plant species (39.3%; 104 in Socorro, and 16 in Clarion): 67 (24.8%) are naturalized, 14 (5.2%) are casual aliens, and 25 (9.3%) subsist under cultivation. The documented alien species belong to 73 families. Annual and perennial herbs are the prevailing life forms in the alien flora, while naturalized species are primarily native to North America. The number of introduced species has increased significantly since the islands became inhabited. Many of the recently introduced species pose a major invasion risk like on other islands of the world.