EPPO Global Database

Invasive alien plants in Transylvania (RO)

The presence of 8 of the most prominent Romanian invasive alien plant species (Table 1) were mapped in Southern Transylvania (Central Romania) in 2013 using a handheld global positioning system. Invasion risk maps were derived for each species individually by applying the Maximum Entropy algorithm (MAXENT) based on presence only data. The risk maps showed that the 8 invasive alien plant species all have a high potential for further spread within the region. Roads and rivers were highlighted in the study as facilitative corridors for spread of all species. Of the 8 species, Erigeron annuus has the largest potential distribution within the study area whereas Asclepias syriaca has the lowest. Within the study area there is a large amount of agricultural land that has been abandoned due to socio-economic change since the late 1980s. This study shows that this land use type is highly prone to invasion of invasive alien plants compared to the natural pristine habitat and thus should be managed accordingly to avoid the buildup of invasive populations.

Table 1. The invasive alien plant species mapped in Southern Transylvania

Species	Origin	Established in the EPPO region*
Amaranthus retroflexus	N-America	Widespread
Asclepias syriaca	N-America	AT, HR, FR, DE, HU, PL, RO, RS, SI, ES, SE
Conyza canadensis	N-America	Widespread
Erigeron annuus	N-America	Widespread
Fallopia japonica (EPPO List of IAP)	Asia	Widespread
Robinia pseudoacacia	N-America	Widespread
Solidago canadensis (EPPO List of IAP)	N-America	Widespread
Xanthium strumarium	N-America	Widespread

*The distribution of species has been checked in the Q-bank database, as well as the DAISIE, NOBANIS and PQR databases. When the species was recorded in numerous countries its distribution was approximated to ‘widespread’.

Sources

Zimmermann H, Loos J, Von Wehrden H, Fischer J (2015) Aliens in Transylvania: risk maps of invasive alien plant species in Central Romania. Neobiota 24, 55-65.