Abstract:

Aims: Invasive plants accounted for a large proportion of urban spontaneous vegetation and was an unavoidable issue in the construction of spontaneous plant landscapes. Studying the impact of invasive plants was of great significance for the application of spontaneous vegetation plant landscaping that supports urban biodiversity. 

Methods: Stratified random sampling survey was conducted in this study on spontaneous vegetation in the herb layer of Hangzhou Xixi National Wetland Park among different habitats. The status quo of invasive plants and their effects on spontaneous vegetation community were analyzed, and the management strategies of invasive plants in Xixi wetland were discussed. 

Results: (1) A total of 25 invasive plant species were recorded in the investigation, accounting for approximately 10.7% of the total number of spontaneous plant species. Among them, the most dominant ones were Alternanthera philoxeroides and Erigeron annuus. (2) Among the five types of habitats, the grassland habitat had the highest number of invasive plant species, occurrence frequency, and importance value. (3) Invasive plants significantly reduced the number of native plant species; significantly decreased the species diversity, and significantly affected the structure of spontaneous vegetation communities. (4) In the management of invasive plants in Xixi Wetland, particular attention should be paid to dominant invasive species such as Alternanthera philoxeroides and Erigeron annuus. 

Conclusion: Differential management measures should be formulated based on the differences between habitats and the types of multi-species invasions. This study provides a reference for the construction and management of spontaneous vegetation landscapes.

Key words: invasive plants, spontaneous vegetation, biodiversity, landscape management