The global loss of floristic uniqueness

Regional species assemblages have been shaped by colonization, speciation and extinction over millions of years. Humans have altered biogeography by introducing species to new environments. Here, we analyze the loss of regional floristic uniqueness by using data from native and naturalized plant species in 658 regions around the world. We find strong taxonomic and phylogenetic floristic homogenization overall, and that the natural decline in floristic similarity with increasing geographic distance is weakened by naturalized species. Floristic homogenization increases with climatic similarity, which emphasizes the importance of climate matching in plant naturalization. Moreover, floristic homogenization is greater between regions with current or past administrative relationships, indicating that being part of the same country as well as historical colonial ties facilitates exchange, most likely due to more intensive trade and transport between such regions. Our findings show that naturalization of alien plants threatens taxonomic and phylogenetic uniqueness of regional floras globally. Unless more effective biodiversity measures are implemented, it is likely that with ongoing globalization, even the most distant regions will lose their floristic uniqueness.

Qiang Yang, Patrick Weigelt, Trevor S Fristoe, Zhijie Zhang, Holger Kreft, Anke Stein, Hanno Seebens, Wayne Dawson, Franz Essl, Christian König, Bernd Lenzner, Jan Pergl, Robin Pouteau, Petr Pyšek, Marten Winter, Aleksandr L Ebel, Nicol Fuentes, Eduardo L H Giehl, John Kartesz, Pavel Krestov, Toomas Kukk, Misako Nishino, Andrey Kupriyanov, Jose Luis Villaseñor, Jan J Wieringa, Abida Zeddam, Elena Zykova, Mark van Kleunen