SUMMARY

Biological invasions are the second source of destruction of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. However, there is still a lack of knowledge about invasive taxa, their level of proliferation and affected areas in Burundi. In order to provide useful knowledge to managers of invasive plants, a study was conducted in the swamps of one of the most important rivers in Burundi, the Ruvubu River. The objective is to: (i) Conduct a floristic inventory; (ii) highlight the diversity of invasive plants in the prospected site and (iii) determine a floristic gradient of invasive plants. The systematic approach based on phytosociological surveys was used to establish floristic wealth. The identification of invasive plants required a combination of the average cover rate and the biological characteristics of the specific invasive plasticity of the dominant species. The results reported 161 species divided into 125 genera and 54 families. Combining the average recovery rate of species with the characteristics of invasive plasticity made it possible to retain 13 proven invasive species and seven other potential invasive plant species. The invasive plants selected are divided into six botanical families, two of which (Poaceae and Asteraceae) are the most represented, comprising 69.23% of invasive species alone. The floristic gradient of the invasive plants retained increases from the upstream to the downstream of the river. To consult the article click here