INVASIVE ALIEN PLANTS IN GRASSLANDS FROM THE LAND OF FĂGĂRA

Using flowing water as a transportation medium for seeds and fruit, invasive plant species can spread rapidly, making river banks an environment where they can grow prosperous populations. In the plain of the Land of Fagaras, on the fringe of water courses, are many meadows with rich plant diversity. During field research conducted in 2021 and 2022, data from grasslands near twelve towns were collected to observe the presence of invasive plant species in this area. Sixteen species from the List of invasive and potentially invasive alien plants in Romania were identified in or close to analyzed grasslands. One of them, Impatiens glandulifera Royle, is on the List of invasive alien plants of concern for the EU. In the river banks, small or extended populations are formed, and only a few of these invasive species are installed in the grassland, except for Erigeron annuus.