The diversity and distribution of introduced plant species reflect 8000 years of settlement history

Human population has affected natural ecosystems since prehistoric times in many ways, causing disturbances in existing ecosystems and creating novel habitats, and altering the colonisation and extinction rates with potentially long-lasting effects on biodiversity. Here, we explored the pervasive effects of past human occupancy on present-day diversity and the distribution of plant species introduced by humans in the distant past-archaeophytes-at the regional spatial scale. We analysed spatial relations between the present-day species richness of archaeophytes and native flora, the environmental setting, archaeological evidence, and the relationship between the residence time of archaeophytes and their regional range size. We used fine-scaled gridded information on plant diversity and archaeological records for the period 6000 BCE to 1000 CE summarised as average occupancy probability (AOP) in Czechia, Central Europe. The proportion of archaeophytes in the local flora positively correlated with AOP. Variation partitioning revealed largely overlapping effects of AOP, environmental conditions, and present-day land use on the relative diversity of archaeophytes in local flora. The relationship between the minimum residence time of introduced species and their regional range size was non-significant. Synthesis. Present-day regional diversity of archaeophytes mirrored the intensity of past human settlements. Our results suggest that the main underlying mechanism is the environmental filtering of non-native species pools, while dispersal limitation plays a minor role in the regional patterns of archaeophyte diversity.

Automated summary

Human population has had various impacts on natural ecosystems, causing disturbances and alterations to biodiversity. This study examines the effects of past human occupancy on present-day diversity and distribution of archaeophytes, plant species introduced by humans in the distant past. The analysis reveals the correlation between archaeophyte richness and past human settlements, with environmental filtering playing a major role in shaping regional archaeophyte diversity.