Diversity and Phytosociological studies of Invasive Alien Plant Species and their effects on vegetation in District Jaunpur

Abstract

Biological invasions represent a critical dimension of anthropogenically driven global environmental change, exerting profound influences on community assembly mechanisms, vegetation structure, ecosystem functioning, and landscape-level ecological resilience. Stratified systematic vegetation sampling was conducted across heterogeneous habitat matrices encompassing croplands, fallow fields, wastelands, transportation corridors, riparian zones, wetlands, and peri-urban landscapes. Quadratbased sampling protocols were employed to ensure spatial representativeness and statistical robustness of vegetation estimates. Species-level ecological amplitude and dominance patterns were quantified using core species frequency, population density, numerical abundance, basal area cover, and the Importance Value Index (IVI). The study documents extensive taxonomic representation of invasive alien flora spanning multiple angiosperm families and functional life-form spectra, with therophytic and ruderal herbaceous taxa exhibiting marked numerical and spatial dominance within high-disturbance regimes. By integrating floristic inventories with quantitative vegetation analytics, this investigation establishes a robust ecological baseline forinvasion monitoring within intensively managed tropical agro-landscapes. The findings provide critical empirical inputs for predictive invasion modelling, invasive species prioritisation, and development of evidence-based invasive species management frameworks across the Indo-Gangetic biogeographic region.