The alien flora of Albania: History, current status and future trends

Abstract

Summary: The first synthesis of the alien flora of Albania is presented here. In order to be able to compare with other published studies, the categories of the aliens are described using widely accepted terms. However, additional terms are also introduced in the text. Altogether, 196 alien species occur outside cultivation, including 81 naturalised and 16 partly naturalised weeds, 11 remnants of the former cultivation, nine old and 38 new casuals, 41 presumably extinct aliens and no invasives. Some authors regarded 25 native species incorrectly as aliens and nine alien species were erroneously documented as members of the Albanian flora. The changes of the alien flora of Albania differ considerably from that of most European countries, and the actual proportion of aliens in the Albanian flora is the lowest in Europe. The low number of aliens, the lack of invasives and the relatively low frequency of aliens in Albania are the consequences of the long-term seclusion of the country during the 20th century, and the low level of economic development, the extended land use and also the fact that aliens have been present only for quite a short time in the flora. All recent social and economic changes facilitate the establishment and spread of aliens in the country, especially in the lowlands. © 2014 European Weed Research Society.