Propagation Model of Invasive Species: Road Systems as Dispersion Facilitators

Authors

  • L.J.R. Nunes ICAAM - Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas, Universidade de Évora, Évora, Portugal
  • C.I.R. Meireles ICAAM - Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas, Universidade de Évora, Évora, Portugal
  • Pinto Gomes C.J. ICAAM - Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas, Universidade de Évora, Évora, Portugal; Departamento da Paisagem, Ambiente e Ordenamento, Universidade de Évora, Évora, Portugal
  • Almeida Ribeiro N.M.C. ICAAM - Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas, Universidade de Évora, Évora, Portugal; Departamento de Fitotecnia, Universidade de Évora, Évora, Portugal

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/re.v2i1.1054

Abstract

The globalization of the planet allowed plant species to emerge from their traditional habitats and spread to other territories. This dispersion, sometimes occasional, sometimes by the influence of man, reaches proportions today that, in some cases, affect the development of natural ecosystems and their sustainability. Thus, becomes imperative to know seeds dispersion occur, since only after can be taken measures to mitigate these processes. In the same way that natural communication paths, such as rivers, are responsible for the natural dispersal of seeds, man-made communication paths, such as road systems, can allow very rapid dispersion. This review article addresses this issue, raising a problem that can be observed in Portugal, but which can easily be transposed to other territories of the Mediterranean basin, given the similarities in these territories. The dispersion model described here, called Highway Flow Model, intends to show the mechanisms of seed dispersion through road systems, mainly due to the configuration of the road profiles, but also by the processes associated with the cleaning of the roadsides. This demonstrates the need to take measures, such as cleaning and inspecting the equipment used to clean roadside berths before moving them to a new service elsewhere.

Keywords:

Invasive species, Highway Flow Model, Species dispersion, Invasive behavior

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How to Cite

Nunes, L., Meireles, C., Gomes C.J., P., & N.M.C., A. R. (2019). Propagation Model of Invasive Species: Road Systems as Dispersion Facilitators. Research in Ecology, 2(1), 44–51. https://doi.org/10.30564/re.v2i1.1054

Issue

Vol. 2 , Iss. 1 (March 2020)

Article Type

Reviews

License

Copyright © 2019 L.J.R. Nunes, C.I.R. Meireles, Pinto Gomes C.J., Almeida Ribeiro N.M.C.

Creative Commons License

This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.

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