Introducing some alien plants of Iran and their risk of invasion

Alien species are the second threat to biodiversity. Like other countries in the world, Iran is facing the introduction of the alien species. The introduction of alien plants into the new region cause negative impacts on the environment and socio-economic conditions. These negative impacts include impact on agriculture, aquatic environments, wildlife, forests and human health. In some cases, they led to the extinction of native species, reduced genetic diversity, and homogeneity of ecosystem.  The number of alien plant species in Iran was studied by literate review. Alien plants are determined based on their invasive status (at three levels: naturalized, casual, and invasive) and their spreading situation in Iran. More than 200 alien plant species that had passed the first stage of invasion (introduction) were identified. The results showed that the number of naturalized plants was more than the casual and invasive species and most of them were common in areas that were more manipulated by humans. The abundance of alien plants susceptible to invasion in Iran and the lack of a strong monitoring system for their entry will increase the risk of invasion and their negative impacts. To this reason, continuous monitoring and the application of a regular and strong framework for alien plants in the country are important necessities.