Ecological Impact and Invasiveness of Alien Weed Species in Moradabad District

Introduction

During the anthropocentric period, the expansion of species outside their original circulation range, breaching natural bio-geographical boundaries, had a significant environmental impact.¹ The global agricultural production system is facing numerous challenges, including the presence of numerous invasive alien species, including numerous weed species.² Imported alien species contribute to global ecological deterioration through land use and climate change, affecting biodiversity, ecosystems, and agricultural products through their combined native effects.^3,4 In recent decades, the agriculture sector has been endangered by international ecological shifts such as environmental degradation and biological invasions.^5,6

Invasive species are disintegrating the world’s flora and fauna, contributing significantly to the planet’s biodiversity loss. ⁷ Due to our mobile existence and the purposeful movement of decorative and food plants, alien plants can spread rapidly.⁸ Alien species invasions can affect ecosystems, genes, and other layers of ecological complexity.⁹ Agro-ecosystems are environments where invasive weed species have a real financial impact because they reduce crop yields.¹⁰ In order to thrive in a range of habitats, IAS frequently demonstrates morphological, physiological, and demographic adaptability.¹¹ Indian flora contains about 40% alien species, of which 25% are IAS.¹² At least 300000 vascular plants on the planet, or 10% of all vascular plants, have the ability to invade other habitats and negatively or favourably impact native biota.¹³ The absence of native predators or the presence of novel weapons like allelopathic have been cited as reasons for plant species’ success in alien environments.¹⁴ The spread of alien species causes severe ecological harm to native biodiversity and hastens the extinction of endemic and endangered taxa.^15,16 The agents of natural invasion are birds, animals, water, and wind. Examples of natural invasions are Parthenium hysterophorus and Ageratum conyzoides.¹⁷ The more diversified plant groups’ habitats were fiercely competitive and resisted invasion.¹⁸ Several alien species imported for human benefit have been documented to devastate both the natural world and the economy.¹⁹ Opuntia stricta, a high-risk alien species in the African region, would result in an annual economic loss of US$500–1000 per household. ²⁰ Alien invaders were estimated to cause a US$1 billion annual economic loss to agricultural section of African countries. This damage was caused to agricultural crops. ²¹

Parthenium hysterophorus L., sometimes known as Peterson’s Curse, has been identified as a major cause of annoyance, a concern for human and animal health, a threat to biodiversity, and a danger to the environment.²² Along with microbes (parasites, microorganisms, and so forth.), insects, rodents, nematodes, mites, birds, and other less serious animal pests, weeds frequently pose the greatest threat to declining agricultural output.²³ Weeds were blamed for more than 11 billion dollars in economic losses in just ten crops in India.²⁴ Invasive species like weeds reduce agricultural yields, raise farming costs, and cause major ecological damage.^25,26 Ruderal are weed plants that thrive around rubbish heaps, urban wastes, docks, footpaths, railway road edges, and other areas extensively touched by human habitation, industry, and trade.²⁷ Cattles are acutely poisonous to parthenium, and parthenin, which is similarly hepatotoxic, causes milk to taste bitter.²⁸ When compared to native species, invasive weeds grow more quickly and produce more biomass, have high reproductive efficiency, produce a lot of seeds, are effective dispersers, and can adapt to new environments.²⁹ Many of the invasive alien weed species are capable of allelopathic and have high levels of tolerance for various abiotic environments.³⁰

Materials and Methods                  

Figure 1: Study map  Click here to view Figure

The study was conducted in Moradabad district (28°- 21′ to 28°- 16´ Latitude North and 78°- 4´ to 79^o East Longitude) of western Uttar Pradesh, India, from April 2021 to June 2022 in different eight blocks of 04 tehsils of Moradabad district to explore the ecological invasiveness and ecological impact of different invasive alien weeds (ruderals and agrestals). Information regarding ecological aspects of the weeds was collected from the field’s survey and illustration of different types of ecosystems in the different villages of Moradabad district. The information was also gathered from knowledgeable locals, including landowners and elders. Field notes were taken on the plant, detailing its eco-botanical diagnostic charter. The collected weeds were identified using the documentation that was available, including the Flora of Uttar Pradesh vol. I.³¹ and vol. II ³², Handbook on Weed Identification³³, weeds just reported from the Global Compendium of Weeds.³⁴ The collected weeds were arranged in different APG-IV families and grades according to the modern system of classification.³⁵

Results

In the above botanical study of invasive alien weeds in Moradabad district, the ecological invasiveness and ecological impact on different ecosystems of the district. A study of weeds in different agricultural ecosystems and other ecosystems in Moradabad district shows that 88 weed plants belong to 27 families (Table 1) have been documented. 43% of the reported weed species are ruderals weeds, 34% agrestals weeds, and 23% both type weeds. 36% of the reported species were found in cropland ecosystems, followed by 36% on waste land and 28% along the roadside. In the above study, we followed the APG-IV system of classification, and the concern weed species were also arranged according to the concern grade system in this section. Grade Lamiids show the highest (21%), followed by Campanulids (20%), Superasterids (18%), Fabids (17%), Malvids (11%), and Eudicots (1%). In this study, with the help of the Global Weed Compendium, we also studied the origin of weeds, and the results show that 63% of weeds were concerned with the TAM, followed by 12% TAF, 10% SAM, 5% MR, 5% EU, 2% NAM, and 1% ML, BR, and PU. In the representation of the reported families (table 1), among the plants studied, most of them belonged to the Asteraceae 17 species, followed by Amaranthaceae 9 species, Malvaceae 7 species, Poaceae, Euphorbiaceae, and Fabaceae 6 species each, Convolvulaceae and Solanaceae 5 species each, Cactaceae and Apocynaceae 3 species each, Cyperaceae, Plantaginaceae, Pontederiaceae, and Portulacaceae 2 species each, and Polygonaceae, Papaveraceae, Cannabaceae, Cleomaceae, Acanthaceae, Verbenaceae, Brassicaceae, Onagraceae, Primulaceae, Nyctaginaceae, Lamiaceae, Oxalidaceae, and Zygophyllaceae 1 species each. In this study, 88 reported weed species belong to Lamiids (18spp.), Campanulids (17spp.), Superasterids (16spp.), Fabids (15spp.), Malvids (10spp.), Commelinids (10spp.), and Eudicots (1spp.), grade APG-IV. In the context of the life forms of the different reported invasive alien weed species, most of them are herb 81%, followed by shrub 13%, climbing herb 3%, creeping herb 2%, and climbing shrub 1%. In this current study, the authors also elaborate on the ecological invasiveness and ecological impact of different recorded invasive alien weed species in Moradabad, and we found that 79% of the reported weed species were categorised under the ecological impact category, 13% of the reported species were under the ecological invasiveness category, and 8% of the weed species were common in both of the above-mentioned ecological categories to analyse the effect of different invasive alien weed species. To elaborate on the proper ecological impact of different reported weed species, we further categorised them into three classes: ecological effect of the weeds on ecosystem function and services (W1), biodiversity loss (W2), and economic loss (W3), as done by the IAWS, and the results were that 40% of the weeds were representing the (W1), 40% (W2), and 20% (W3) classes of the ecological impact category of the weeds. According to the context of ecological invasiveness, four classes were organised to analyse the effect of invasive alien weed species on the basic botanical illustration, and the results were as follows: 48% showed multiple modes of dispersion (MMD), followed by 22% rapid multiplication and spread in different ecosystems (RMS), 18% multiple modes of reproduction (MMR), and 12% were invasive elsewhere.

Discussion

53 terrestrial invasive alien plant species were reported in categories and criteria adopted for listing terrestrial invasive plants of India³⁶– i.e., Alternanthera bettzickiana, Alternanthera philoxeroides, Argemone mexicana, Bidens pilosa, Cannabis sativa, Cuscuta chinensis, Dinebra retroflexa, Dysphania ambrosioides, Erigeron bonariensis, Erigeron canadensis, Evolvulus nummularius, Ipomoea eriocarpa, Lantana camara, Opuntia dillenii, Opuntia elatior and Parthenium hysterophorus, and similar above mentioned weed species were also reported in our study of Moradabad district in different categories of ecological invasiveness, impact and range extension phases on the basic of observation of different agricultural and non-agricultural fields of the district .

In our findings Alternanthera bettzickiana is found in all the categories of phase rest of IE,MMR,MMD&W3; Alternanthera philoxeroides and Argemone mexicana rest of IE, MMR; Bidens pilosa rest of MMR, W2; Cannabis sativa rest of IE, MMR, W2; Cuscuta chinensis rest of IE, RMS; Dinebra retroflexa IE, RMS, MMR,W2; Dysphania ambrosioides IE, MMR,W2; Erigeron bonariensis and Erigeron canadensis rest of IE,RMS,MMR; Evolvulus nummularius, Ipomoea eriocarpar rest of IE, RMS, MMR, MMD, W2; Lantana camara rest of IE, RMS,MMR; Opuntia dillenii and Opuntia elatior rest of IE,RMS,MMD and Parthenium hysterophorus rest of MMR, on the basic of different agro-ecosystems and available flora of the concern area.

Initial identification and swift intervention is a technique used to detect and eradicate invasive weeds before they spread, as per ³⁷. As a result, around 18% of India’s plant life is foreign, with 55% being American, 30% being Asian and Malaysian, and 15% coming from Europe and Central Asia.³⁸ Plant species infestations in non-native environments affect ecosystems, threatening the ecological stability and profitability of the invaded region.³⁹ Alternanthera bettzickiana⁴⁰, Alternanthera philoxeroides Aligator weed^41,42,43, Argemone Mexicana⁴⁴, Bidens pilosa, Dysphania ambrosioides, Opuntia elatior⁴⁵, Cannabis sativa⁴⁶, Cuscuta chinensis, Dinebra retroflexa and Evolvulus nummularius^44,45, Erigeron bonariensis, Erigeron Canadensis⁴⁷, Ipomoea eriocarpa^44,45,48, Lantana camara^40,49, Opuntia dillenia^45,46, Parthenium hysterophorus^40,50,51,52 weed species were reported in all the categories of ecological invasiveness, ecological impact and range extension phases on the basic of field observation and we also reported the same species in our findings. The 8% aqueous extract of Alternanthera bettzickiana weed significantly reduced the vigour of cowpea seedlings⁵³. Alternanthera philoxeroides may develop fast under a variety of abiotic stressors, including prolonged submergence⁵⁴. A. sessilis is an invasive weed that thrives in disturbed areas and moist and dry soils⁵⁵. A. sessilis’ allelopathic effects can be particularly harmful to paddy and other extensive irrigated crops⁵⁶. B. pilosa has infected a variety of environments, including grasslands, forest edges, secondary forests, wetlands, streams, coastal regions, roadsides, railway sides, disturbed lands, grazing, plantations, and farm fields^58,59,60,61. B. pilosa has the potential to rapidly grow and to form dense thickets. The species outcompetes crops in agricultural fields and eliminates indigenous plant species in introduced ranges by expanding the margins of its dense thickets^{57,58,62,59,60,63}. Cannabis plant has been labelled invasive in 50 out of over 135 nations and territories⁶⁴. Cuscuta spp. severely affect agricultural plants and are regarded the third-most harmful category of parasitic worms globally after Striga and Orobance⁶⁵. Evolvulus nummularius thrives in wet environments such as roadside ditches, canal banks, riverbanks, shaded regions, grassy lawns, and athletic fields⁶⁶. A high degree of Erigeron canadensis invasion resulted in a greater loss of plant variety than a low degree of E. canadensis invasion, because E. canadensis invasion can reduce the number of native species via competition, resulting in local extinction⁶⁷. Lantana is already abundant in eastern Africa and has the potential to spread, particularly in Tanzania. 40% of responders indicated that lantana reduced animal fodder by more than 50%, while one-third reported a 26-50% loss in agricultural output⁶⁸. Parthenium’s allelopathic properties make it difficult for agricultural crops including wheat, rice, maize, pigeon pea, sorghum, and black gram to sprout and thrive, and their yields may decline by up to 40%⁶⁹. 

Table 1: Ecological Invasiveness and Impact of Different Invasive Alien Weeds. Click here to view Table

Conclusion

Enlisted ecological invasiveness and impact-able baseline data regarding the different reported ruderals and agrestals weed species of Moradabad district will help in the proper management and regulatory pathway of the weed plant species in various agro and non-agro ecosystems. Due to a lack of baseline data, understanding, and effective management techniques for weed species. India requires a countrywide inquiry of invasive alien weed species to better comprehend economic losses, identify invasion pathways, and devise effective management techniques. Predicting the deadliest alien plants is critical for preventing and controlling their spread.

Acknowledgement

The authors express gratitude to the local people, such as farmers in Moradabad district, for the support and encouragement provided during this botanical illustration of weeds.

Funding Sources

Research received no financial assistance for publication.

Conflict of Interest

The authors do not have any conflicts of interest.

Data Availability Statement

This statement does not apply to this article.

Ethics Statement           

This research did not involve human participants, animal, subjects, or any material that requires ethical approval.

Informed Consent Statement

This study did not involve human participants, and therefore, informed consent was not required.

Authors’ Contribution

Conceptualization of research work and designing of experiments (Sachin Sharma, S. P. Joshi); Execution of field experiments and data collection (Sachin Sharma, Manisha Pandey); Analysis of data and interpretation (Sachin Sharma, S. P. Joshi, Manisha Pandey); Preparation of manuscript (Sachin Sharma, S. P. Joshi, Manisha Pandey).

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