Alien flora of the Kamchatka region
О.А. Chernyagina
Kamchatka Branch of the Pacific Institute of Geography FEB RAS, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia
In the 2018 summary, 262 alien species were recorded in Kamchatka Krai, while the previously published list (2004) had 187 species. The leading position in the number of adventive species is occupied by the Yelizovsky district in the south of the Kamchatka Peninsula, where the anthropogenic load (three out of three cities in the Krai) and points of species penetration into the territory (seaport, airport) are concentrated. In the 21st century, an increase in the number of alien species known for the territory by almost 100 units was recorded. The development of the road network, increased tourist flow, development of horticulture, urban development, climatic changes and research works (including those involving citizen science tools, iNaturalist) expand this list every year. The invasive element of the flora leaves 85 species, but there are only 3 particularly dangerous invasive species (Lupinus polyphyllus, Heracleum sosnowskyi, Impatiens glandulifera).
Kamchatka Krai is known as a wilderness area. In many areas there have never been permanent settlements, and economic activity for many years was represented by hunting, fishing, exploitation of non-timber forest resources. Specially protected natural territories occupy about 11 % of the territory of the region, and the road network is not developed. All this does not contribute to the widespread distribution of alien species, so only 30 alien species are known for the natural park "Yuzhno-Kamchatsky" with the area of 515026.42 ha. Kamchatka is characterized by specific pathways of invasion of alien species. The first researchers of Kamchatka's flora assumed that habitats near hot springs could be points of species naturalization on the peninsula; we observe a number of species growing on Kamchatka only in such habitats. Their occurrence on the peninsula can be explained by transfer by birds. It is reliably known that in the modern period a species with C4-type photosynthesis Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) P. Beauv., competing in areas with abnormally high temperature in the rooting layer with another C4 species — Fimbristylis ochotensis (Meinsh.) Kom. that penetrated Kamchatka earlier.
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