In the past, the ecological role of landslides in altering floristic composition and biological diversity has been largely ignored, however a major earthquake of shallow depth measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale struck central Nepal on 25 April 2025 and after shock of 12 May 2025 measuring 6.8 causing widespread destruction and appeared as a substantial natural disturbance agent. Here I provide perspective on the influences of landslides on species invasion, which is related in several ways to biophysical and biological diversity. Methodology includes an analysis of pre-disaster remote sensing image data to compare with post-disaster landslide conditions in 14 worst earthquake hit districts of Nepal, development of biophysical models of species occurrence by reviewing of the ecology, distribution pattern and habitat preferences of 11 worst invasive plant species and field verification of species presence and absence. Satellite image classification shows occurrence of significant number of landslides and alteration in topography and microclimate in the forested areas. Biophysical model revealed that such sudden alteration creates source habitats and hotspots for sink population of invasive species present in the ecosystems. Results shows that landslides amplified landscape heterogeneity by changing forest canopy structure, light intensity reaching to the forest floor, soil structure, chemistry, topography and microclimate and produce distinct spatio-temporal patterns of vegetation distribution. Increased tree mortality, dispersal limitation, quick growth of thicket-forming invasive species vegetation could drastically reduce native forest recovery on landslide disturbed sites. On the larger scale of the landscape, remote sensing and GIS are useful tools for investigating the influence of landslides on species invasibility and long-term forest dynamics.
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