Phylogenomic Barcoding of Soil Seed Bank-Persistent and Wind-Dispersed Non-Native Plant Species in South Georgia.

ABSTRACT: Climate change and invasive species are leading drivers of biodiversity loss, with island ecosystems being especially vulnerable. South Georgia, a remote sub-Antarctic island, is 170 km long with approximately 30,000 ha of vegetated coastal areas, as snow and ice dominate the inland regions. Human activities on the island have historically introduced non-native species, resulting in 41 introduced vascular plant species compared with only 24 native ones. To address this imbalance, the South Georgia Non-Native Plant Management Strategy was implemented (2016-2020) to control non-native plant populations. We assessed emergent seedlings from South Georgia soil samples and wind-dispersed seeds to determine which species persist in the soil seed bank and contribute to dispersal. Using a molecular

SUBMITTER: Viruel J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12627909 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature