Vascular flora of railway junctions in the Upper Tracian Lowland (Bulgaria)

Floristic studies have been carried out in the Upper Thracian Lowland in 14 railway stations: Dimitrovgrad, Knizhovnik, Malevo, Maslinovo, Most, Stara Zagora, Yabalkovo, Uzundzhovo, Harmanli, Skobelevo, Karadzhalovo, Stalevo, Plovdiv and Haskovo during the period 2017 to 2019. A total of 267 species, 174 genera and 53 families of higher vascular plants were identified. Alien and invasive species make up for a relatively high percentage of 9.4% in the railway flora. This indicates that the railway network plays an important role in the penetration and further dispersal of alien species in Bulgarian. The long-distance spread of railway areas is most common with passing trains and people moving. The largest number of alien species were found at stations with more intensive movement of passengers and cargo, where maneuvers are performed, stay of freight trains, such as Dimitrovgrad, Haskovo, Plovdiv, Stara Zagora. The alien species found at several of the studied railway stations were: Convolvulus arvensis L., Erigeron canadensis L., Fallopia convolvulus (L.) Á. Löve, Amaranthus hybridus L., Amorpha fruticosa L. Individual plants of strongly invasive Ambrosia artemisifolia L. have been identified in the railway station in the Haskovo City.