Rivers as Dispersal Corridors for Primarily Expansion of Invasive Plant Species in Serbia Renata Gagić Serdar*1, Tomislav Stefanović1, Svetlana Bilibajkić 1, Zoran Poduška 1, Ilija Đorđević1, Ljubinko Rakonjac1,2, Goran Češljar 1, Radovan Nevenić,1,3 1 Department for Spatial Planning, GIS and Forest Policy, Institute of forestry, Belgrade, Serbia 1, 2 Institute of forestry, Belgrade, Serbia 1,3 Department for Spatial Planning, GIS and Forest Policy, Institute of forestry, Belgrade, Serbia
[email protected] Abstract Invasive plant species are often more successful within introduced areas when compared to their natural ranges. These species represented a suite of successful invaders within a young forest as pioneer vegetation on surfaces made by various transformations of native habitats and land use (river flood surfaces). River valleys represent biologically rich corridors, characterized by natural disturbances that create moist and barren sites suitable for colonization by native riparian plants, but also by woody invasive weeds. The most common, high aggressive and hydrochoric invasive plant in riparian forests in Serbia is false indigo bush (Amorpha fruticosa L.). Pattern of water regimes fluctuations and its influences on populations and stands of A. fruticosa was observed for this introduced riparian woody species along law land as well as few other rivers in Serbia. It was registered that spontaneous spreading of this plant is at the same time followed by certain level of infested seed by bruchid seed-beetle (Coleoptera, Bruchidae, Bruchinae). This evidence indicate that the seed parasites are endophagous herbivores. The variable effects of theirs abundance were recognized due to persistence of seed banks, asexual reproduction of plants, seasonal reproduction of plants, low or incomplete damage on seeds by the seed predators and competition between bruchid beetle and parasite whose larvae also detected feeding in seeds of A.