Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Preface
- Part I Introduction
- Part II Historical background
- Part III Biogeography of taxa
- 7 Invasive plants of the Mediterranean Basin
- 8 Invasive vascular plants of California
- 9 Introduction of plants into the mediterranean-type climate area of Chile
- 10 Introduced plants of the fynbos biome of South Africa
- 11 Invasive plants of southern Australia
- 12 Life cycles of some Mediterranean invasive plants
- 13 Invasion processes as related to succession and disturbance
- 14 Is fire an agent favouring plant invasions?
- 15 Plant invasion and soil seed banks: control by water and nutrients
- 16 Invasion by annual brome grasses: a case study challenging the homoclime approach to invasions
- 17 Patterns of Pleistocene turnover, current distribution and speciation among Mediterranean mammals
- 18 Introduced mammals in California
- 19 Ecology of a successful invader: the European rabbit in central Chile
- 20 Mammals introduced to the mediterranean region of South Africa
- 21 Mammals introduced to southern Australia
- 22 Invasions and range modifications of birds in the Mediterranean Basin
- 23 Invasions in the mediterranean avifaunas of California and Chile
- 24 Birds introduced to the fynbos biome of South Africa
- 25 Species of introduced birds in mediterranean Australia
- Part IV Applied aspects of mediterranean invasions
- Part V Overview
- Index of scientific names
- Subject index
8 - Invasive vascular plants of California
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 December 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Preface
- Part I Introduction
- Part II Historical background
- Part III Biogeography of taxa
- 7 Invasive plants of the Mediterranean Basin
- 8 Invasive vascular plants of California
- 9 Introduction of plants into the mediterranean-type climate area of Chile
- 10 Introduced plants of the fynbos biome of South Africa
- 11 Invasive plants of southern Australia
- 12 Life cycles of some Mediterranean invasive plants
- 13 Invasion processes as related to succession and disturbance
- 14 Is fire an agent favouring plant invasions?
- 15 Plant invasion and soil seed banks: control by water and nutrients
- 16 Invasion by annual brome grasses: a case study challenging the homoclime approach to invasions
- 17 Patterns of Pleistocene turnover, current distribution and speciation among Mediterranean mammals
- 18 Introduced mammals in California
- 19 Ecology of a successful invader: the European rabbit in central Chile
- 20 Mammals introduced to the mediterranean region of South Africa
- 21 Mammals introduced to southern Australia
- 22 Invasions and range modifications of birds in the Mediterranean Basin
- 23 Invasions in the mediterranean avifaunas of California and Chile
- 24 Birds introduced to the fynbos biome of South Africa
- 25 Species of introduced birds in mediterranean Australia
- Part IV Applied aspects of mediterranean invasions
- Part V Overview
- Index of scientific names
- Subject index
Summary
The flora of California is one of the most distinctive in the world. Of approximately 5050 native vascular plant species not less than 1500 species are endemic (Stebbins & Major, 1965; Raven & Axelrod, 1978). The continental State of the USA with the next highest number of endemic plant species is Florida with 385 (Gentry, 1986). As is the case for other areas with a mediterranean-type climate, California also has a high number of naturalised introduced species. This number is estimated, depending on the concept of naturalisation, to be between 650 and 750 species (Munz & Keck, 1959; Munz, 1968). (If categories such as ‘garden escapes’ and ‘occasional escapes’ are included, the total number of introduced vascular plant species exceeds 1000.) Interestingly, the continental State with the second highest number of naturalised vascular plant species is again Florida with about 380 (Long & Lakela, 1976; Wunderlin, 1983; Clewell, 1985). Hawaii with 883 endemic and 600 naturalised species (Smith, 1985; Gentry, 1986) is intermediate between California and Florida.
Compared to other regions of the world with a mediterranean climate, the number of naturalised species in California is about 400 more than in the Fynbos Biome of southern Africa (Wells, this volume) and about 200 less than that of South Australia (Kloot, this volume). It is not clear whether these numbers reflect anything more than a difference in area – viz. fynbos biome (70000 km2), California (411031 km2), South Australia (984000 km2).
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- Biogeography of Mediterranean Invasions , pp. 81 - 102Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1991
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