Vol. 13, Issue 10 (2024)

Author(s):
Meher Nirgundikar, Mukul Mahabaleshwarkar and Nivedita Ghayal

Abstract:
Invasive weed species, which are non-indigenous, have spread from their native habitat to other regions. Maval Taluka in Pune District is rich in Phyto-diversity and is currently facing invasion by numerous weeds. During frequent field visits to Maval, a total of 168 native and invasive weed species from 40 families were documented. Studies on these species in this area clearly show that Chromolaena odorata and Senna uniflora are the dominant weeds, posing a potential threat to the native plant diversity. Vegetation indices such as the Shannon index and Simpson index confirmed their aggressiveness and invasiveness, with values ranging from 2.10 to 3.16 and from 0.84 to 0.93, respectively. The findings of this research provide information about the distribution patterns of both native and invasive weeds in Maval, as well as their relationship with environmental factors. These results could serve as an important tool in weed management and future research efforts.