Chapter 19
Reproduction Biology of an Alien Invasive
Plant: A Case of Drought-Tolerant Aster
squamatus on the Northern Adriatic
Seacoast, Slovenia
Nina S ˇ ajna, Mitja Kaligaric ˇ, and Danijel Ivajns ˇic ˇ
19.1 Alien Plant Species Might Benefit from
Global Warming
Since 2007, it has been widely accepted that the global climate is warming and that
human-induced increases in greenhouse gas emissions are mostly the cause (Kerr
2007). Global warming has been recognised to have profound impact on physical and
biological systems. Of particular concern is the effect of global warming on biological
diversity. Predictions of extinction have estimated that 20–30 % of species might
face increasingly high risk of extinction. However, mechanisms of species persistence
could lower the estimated extinction rate, while taking into consideration other
human impacts (e.g., habitat destruction, landscape fragmentation or alien species
introduction) could account for additional biodiversity loss (Botkin et al. 2007).
Invasive species have been recognised as one of the most salient threats to biodiversity.
Non-native species occurring in habitats where they were not present before the
introduction are termed invaders or alien species. Rapidly increasing problems caused
by invasive alien species worldwide demand the effective implementation of various
policies aimed at reducing the impact of potentially or currently problematic
non-native species (Richardson and Pys ˇek 2004).
To understand changes in biodiversity, we must take into consideration at least
the effects of global warming and the possibility that alien species might benefit
from them. The future impact of global climate warming will vary from region to
region. The most striking variation will involve changes in precipitation, and
drought is expected in some areas like the Mediterranean (Kerr 2007). To these
changes local species might respond with forced migrations. On the other hand,
the alien invasive species already found in the Mediterranean might respond
N. S ˇ ajna (*) • M. Kaligaric ˇ • D. Ivajns ˇic ˇ
Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Maribor,
Koros ˇka cesta 160, SI-2000 Maribor, Slovenia
e-mail: nina.sajna@uni-mb.si; mitja.kaligaric@uni-mb.si; dani.ivajnsic@uni-mb.si
S. Rannow and M. Neubert (eds.), Managing Protected Areas in Central
and Eastern Europe Under Climate Change, Advances in Global Change Research 58,
DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-7960-0_19, © The Author(s) 2014
279
Reproduction Biology of an Alien Invasive
Plant: A Case of Drought-Tolerant Aster
squamatus on the Northern Adriatic
Seacoast, Slovenia
Nina S ˇ ajna, Mitja Kaligaric ˇ, and Danijel Ivajns ˇic ˇ
19.1 Alien Plant Species Might Benefit from
Global Warming
Since 2007, it has been widely accepted that the global climate is warming and that
human-induced increases in greenhouse gas emissions are mostly the cause (Kerr
2007). Global warming has been recognised to have profound impact on physical and
biological systems. Of particular concern is the effect of global warming on biological
diversity. Predictions of extinction have estimated that 20–30 % of species might
face increasingly high risk of extinction. However, mechanisms of species persistence
could lower the estimated extinction rate, while taking into consideration other
human impacts (e.g., habitat destruction, landscape fragmentation or alien species
introduction) could account for additional biodiversity loss (Botkin et al. 2007).
Invasive species have been recognised as one of the most salient threats to biodiversity.
Non-native species occurring in habitats where they were not present before the
introduction are termed invaders or alien species. Rapidly increasing problems caused
by invasive alien species worldwide demand the effective implementation of various
policies aimed at reducing the impact of potentially or currently problematic
non-native species (Richardson and Pys ˇek 2004).
To understand changes in biodiversity, we must take into consideration at least
the effects of global warming and the possibility that alien species might benefit
from them. The future impact of global climate warming will vary from region to
region. The most striking variation will involve changes in precipitation, and
drought is expected in some areas like the Mediterranean (Kerr 2007). To these
changes local species might respond with forced migrations. On the other hand,
the alien invasive species already found in the Mediterranean might respond
N. S ˇ ajna (*) • M. Kaligaric ˇ • D. Ivajns ˇic ˇ
Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Maribor,
Koros ˇka cesta 160, SI-2000 Maribor, Slovenia
e-mail: nina.sajna@uni-mb.si; mitja.kaligaric@uni-mb.si; dani.ivajnsic@uni-mb.si
S. Rannow and M. Neubert (eds.), Managing Protected Areas in Central
and Eastern Europe Under Climate Change, Advances in Global Change Research 58,
DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-7960-0_19, © The Author(s) 2014
279