Impacts of road on plant invasions in the Middle Mountain region of central Nepal

Biological invasion is triggered by human development activities such as the construction and expansion of road networks. Road verges serve as important habitats and corridors for the distribution of invasive alien plant species (IAPS) between geographically distant habitats. However, the trajectory of plant invasion and the data regarding the impact of roads on IAPS distribution are relatively poor in Nepal. Here, we surveyed two road types (main roads and feeder road) in the Middle Mountain region of central Nepal in order to investigate how different road types are driving the dispersal of IAPS along road verges and the adjacent natural habitats. Systematic sampling was conducted at ca 2.5 km intervals along the roads. At each sampling site, paired plots (25 m × 4 m) were sampled: one adjacent to and along the road, and another 20 m away and parallel to it in the interior habitat. Our results revealed that the main road verges had a higher cover (33