Propagation Model of Invasive Species: Road Systems as Dispersion Facilitators

Abstract

The globalization of the planet allowed plant species to emerge from their traditional habitats and spread to other territories. This dispersion, sometimes occasional, sometimes by the influence of man, reaches proportions today that, in some cases, affect the development of natural ecosystems and their sustainability. Thus, becomes imperative to know seeds dispersion occur, since only after can be taken measures to mitigate these processes. In the same way that natural communication paths, such as rivers, are responsible for the natural dispersal of seeds, man-made communication paths, such as road systems, can allow very rapid dispersion. This review article addresses this issue, raising a problem that can be observed in Portugal, but which can easily be transposed to other territories of the Mediterranean basin, given the similarities in these territories. The dispersion model described here, called Highway Flow Model, intends to show the mechanisms of seed dispersion through road systems, mainly due to the configuration of the road profiles, but also by the processes associated with the cleaning of the roadsides. This demonstrates the need to take measures, such as cleaning and inspecting the equipment used to clean roadside berths before moving them to a new service elsewhere.