The issue of spreading non-native plant species from horticultural and landscape plantings
In my dissertation, I will deal with the use of gardening forms (varieties and cultivars) of native plant species in garden and landscaping. I will examine whether these forms of plant species can cause the erosion of the gene pool of native species. This threat mainly concerns rare species, which are usually threatened by other influences such as climate change and the loss of their habitats. In research, I would like to evaluate the risks for the original population of plant species. This risk is mainly due to the globalization of trade in plant species and partly also with the increasing intensity of tourism. Furthermore, I would like to create a list of plant species that could be safely planted when creating garden and landscape modifications. The list will also include an overview of biology and ecology contained species. It would be, for example, the type of reproduction system, the method of pollination or habitat. This list would then serve as a basis for a methodology that would include a recommendation of how to correctly install newly created landscaping. Above all, these are modifications that are nowadays created around the villages.
Following the theme containing the erosion of the gene pool of cultivated plant species I will experimentally compare the erosion of the gene pool in garden cultures on selected species (for example Aquilegia, Dianthus, Geranium, Primula). The result of these experiments should be a comparison of garden and wild populations.
Another topic is the evaluation of the attractiveness of non-native and original plant species, which are planted in landscape modifications, in terms of pollinators. This part of the thesis should include practical research in which a pair of beds will be created on the experimental areas at the Czech University of Lifesciences Prague. These beds will be planted with native and non-native plant species. There will be a series of pollinators observations on these beds. Then the observation results will be evaluated and a list of species that support the occurrence of pollinators will be created.
Some international certifications such as Breeam, Leed and Well can be used to assess the plantings. To varying degrees, these certifications take into account the originality of the species that are planted. Therefore, it would be beneficial for the topic of spreading species to create a comparison of these certifications.
Last but not least, I would like to focus on the history of garden and landscape modifications. Describing their development and types of modifications that were used in individual periods. Over time, both the types of large landscape units such as parks and minor gardening modifications such as perennial flower beds have changed. How the landscape modifications were developed today has a significant impact on the number of invasive species in a given location, if the territory was advanced, the landscape was modified mainly by non-native species, which over time became invasive species. At present, we should therefore pay more attention to the originality of planted species, because invasive species are increasingly ecological problems and removing invasive species and remedying damage caused by them is already interpreted considerable amounts of funds.
