The Importance of Railway Lines for the Composition of Vegetation in Agricultural Landscapes: A Case Study

Railway corridors create persistent linear habitats embedded within intensively managed agricultural landscapes and can simultaneously support native biodiversity and facilitate the spread of undesirable taxa. We evaluated vegetation composition across five habitat types associated with railway line no. 250 (Havlíčkův Brod–Tišnov, Czech Republic): railway yard, railway embankment, railway land, field margin, and adjacent arable land. Vegetation was recorded using phytosociological relevés (10 m2) at four localities during three surveys in the 2021 growing season. In total, 83 plant taxa were identified, with pronounced differences among habitat types. Species richness and vegetation structure were highest in railway embankments, railway land, and field margins, whereas the railway yard and arable land exhibited lower diversity consistent with high disturbance intensity and substrate constraints. Canonical correspondence analysis distinguished habitat-affinity assemblages, indicating strong habitat filtering along the railway–agriculture gradient. Classification by origin and invasion status showed that non-native and invasive taxa were concentrated predominantly in railway embankments and adjacent habitats, suggesting elevated propagule pressure and potential spread into surrounding farmland. Colonization success (ICS) and colonization potential (ICP) indices indicated that railway-associated habitats can host taxa with high establishment capacity, contributing to successional stability within the corridor. These findings highlight railways as multifunctional elements of agricultural landscapes that require integrated vegetation management to balance biodiversity benefits with operational safety and invasive species risk.