Distribution Of Spontaneous Plants In The Central City Of Wuhan And Its Influencing Factor

Urbanization typically leads to a reduction in plant diversity.Spontaneous vegetation does not require human management and can form self-sustaining plant communities that provide various ecosystem services.However,the distribution patterns of these species may differ due to differences in environmental conditions and urbanization processes.Understanding the diversity of spontaneous vegetation in urban areas and the factors influencing its distribution is essential for preserving native plant diversity and maintaining sustainable urban ecosystems.In this study,we conducted surveyed on spontaneous vegetation in 167 sample plots in the central urban area of Wuhan City,investigating the effects of environmental factors(habitat type,road density,road width,distance from roads,road substrate,human disturbance intensity,and management intensity)and plant functional traits(habitat 、 Breeding method 、 seed length 、 seed weight)on species richness,coverage,and frequency of spontaneous vegetation.The main results are as follows:A total of 136 cultivated plant species(belonging to 61 families and 116 genera)and243 spontaneous plant species(belonging to 63 families and 176 genera)were recorded.Among them,there were 207 species of native spontaneous plants belonging to 59 families and 158 genera,mainly from Asteraceae,Poaceae,Fabaceae,Apiaceae,Lamiaceae,Apocynaceae,and Rosaceae,with perennial herbs being the dominant type,followed by annual/biennial herbs.There were also 26 non-invasive alien spontaneous plant species belonging to 14 families and 21 genera,mainly from Asteraceae,Oxalidaceae,and Poaceae,dominated by annual/biennial and perennial herbs.Finally,there were 10 invasive spontaneous plant species belonging to 4 families and 7 genera,including Asteraceae,Amaranthaceae,Araliaceae,and Poaceae,mainly comprising annual/biennial herbs.The environmental factors affected species richness and coverage of spontaneous vegetation.The road density,human disturbance intensity,management intensity,and the number of cultivated plant species had a negative impact on the total species richness of spontaneous vegetation.The distance from roads had a negative impact on the total coverage of spontaneous vegetation,while management intensity and the number of cultivated plant species had a significant negative impact on the total coverage of spontaneous vegetation.Among them,the number of native spontaneous plant species was negatively correlated with road density,human disturbance intensity,management intensity,and the number of cultivated plant species,while the coverage of native spontaneous plants was negatively correlated with human disturbance intensity,management intensity,and the number of cultivated plant species.The number and coverage of non-invasive alien spontaneous plant species,as well as the number and coverage of invasive spontaneous plant species,was negatively correlated with the number of cultivated plant species.There are significant differences in the coverage and frequency of spontaneous plant types(native plants,non-invasive alien plants,and invasive plants).The frequency of invasive plants is significantly higher than that of native and non-invasive alien plants,while there is no significant difference in frequency between native and non-invasive alien plants;The coverage of invasive plants is significantly higher than that of native plants,while the differences between spontaneous native plants and spontaneous noninvasive alien plants,as well as spontaneous non-invasive alien plants and spontaneous invasive plants,are not significant.The effects of life form,breeding method,seed length,and seed weight on plant coverage and frequency are not significant.Based on environmental factors and plant functional traits,this study analyzes the factors affecting the distribution and diversity of urban spontaneous plants,which will help to better apply spontaneous plants in urban planning,and improve the sustainability and service function of urban ecosystem.