Economic analysis of invasive alien species costs to the French economy
There are an estimated 12 000 alien species present within Europe of which 10-15 % are considered invasive and these invasive species cost the EU around 12 billion euros per year. In France, the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy has commissioned a project to evaluate the financial costs at a national scale where information was gathered through questionnaires and literature reviews. The survey showed that between 2009 and 2013, 19 million euros were spent annually (including both staff time and management costs) controlling invasive alien species. Of this figure, 68 % was spent in the overseas territories and 32 % was spent in the French mainland. The damage incurred by invasive alien species was estimated to be approximately 19 million euros per year giving a total cost of 38 million euros per year. The study showed that between 2009 and 2013, the costs associated with invasive alien species increased each year and those species that have the highest associated costs relate to negative impacts on infrastructure and losses within agriculture and forestry. The two invasive Ludwigia species (L. peploides and L. grandiflora) and the Elodea species (E. callitrichoides, E. canadensis and E. nuttallii) incur an average annual control cost of over 1.5 million euros in the French mainland (Table 1). Costs incurred include disruptions to waterways (e.g. decreased leisure boating activities and recreational fishing) coupled with reduced levels of biological diversity in areas they invaded. Management costs for aquatic plant species are often high due to the need for specialist equipment and repeated site visits to control populations. The present study adds to the growing number of national studies that have evaluated the costs of invasive species to their economies.
Table 1. The invasive alien plant species associated with the highest control costs in France
|
Species
|
Region
|
Costs 2009-2013
|
Average annual cost
|
|
Ludwigia spp. & Elodea spp. (EPPO A2 List* & List of Invasive Alien Plants*)
|
Mainland
|
7 748 k€
|
1 550 k€
|
|
Reynoutria spp. (EPPO List of Invasive Alien Plants*)
|
Mainland
|
1 010 k€
|
202 k€
|
|
Ambrosia artemisiifolia (EPPO List of Invasive Alien Plants)
|
Mainland
|
855 k€
|
171 k€
|
|
Rubus alceifolius
|
La Réunion
|
357 k€
|
71 k€
|
|
Baccharis halimifolia (EPPO A2 List)
|
Mainland
|
307 k€
|
61 k€
|
|
Myriophyllum aquaticum (EPPO List of Invasive Alien Plants)
|
Mainland
|
288 k€
|
58 k€
|
|
Heracleum mantegazzianum (EPPO List of Invasive Alien Plants)
|
Mainland
|
257 k€
|
51 k€
|
|
Eichhornia crassipes (EPPO A2 List)
|
Martinique
|
200 k€
|
40 k€
|
|
Carpobrotus spp. (EPPO List of Invasive Alien Plants*)
|
Mainland
|
167 k€
|
33 k€
|
|
Miconia calvescens
|
New Caledonia
|
149 k€
|
30 k€
|
|
Egeria densa (EPPO List of Invasive Alien Plants)
|
Mainland
|
130 k€
|
26 k€
|
|
Pinus caribaea
|
New Caledonia
|
124 k€
|
25 k€
|
|
Potamogeton spp.
|
Mainland
|
120 k€
|
24 k€
|
* Ludwigia species on the EPPO A2 List are L. peploides and L. grandiflora; Elodea species on the EPPO List of Invasive Alien Plants is Elodea nuttallii; Reynoutria (Fallopia) species on the EPPO List of Invasive Alien Plants include F. japonica, F. sachalinensis and F. x bohemica; Carpobrotus species on the EPPO List of Invasive Alien Plants are C. acinaciformis and C. edulis.
Sources
Wittmann A & Flores-Ferrer A (2015) Analyse économique des espèces exotiques envahissantes en France. Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy. Avalaible online http://www.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/Analyse-economique-des-especes.html