Invasive plants in Romania
The economic impact of invasive alien species for Romania has been estimated to be about 1.6 billion USD (1.4 billion EUR). In addition to this economic impact, invasive alien species can have negative environmental impacts. The updated list of invasive alien species of EU concern (Regulation 1143/2014) includes 66 species of which 36 species are invasive alien plants. Nine of these species are recorded in Romania (Table 1). Under climate change scenarios for the 2070s, Romania is predicted to be suitable for an additional 7 invasive alien plants species of Union concern: Acacia saligna, Baccharis halimifolia, Lespedeza cuneata, Ludwigia grandiflora, Lygodium japonicum, Lysichiton americanus, and Pueraria montana var. lobata. In general, data on the impact of invasive alien plant species and their management in Romania are scattered or completely missing. Work is ongoing to assess the risk of invasive alien plants to the habitats they invade, and where required eradication efforts are underway. Coordinated efforts at a national and regional scale are needed to increase the efficiency of the management of alien species. These include enhancing the legislation and the capacity of public institutions to manage invasive species, increasing the scientific research interest in this topic, and promoting efficient field management measures against alien plants.
Table 1. Nine invasive alien plants of EU concern (Regulation 1143/2014) recorded in Romania.
Species | Family | EPPO Status |
Ailanthus altissima | Simaroubaceae | Invasive Alien Plant List |
Asclepias syriaca | Apocynaceae | Invasive Alien Plant List |
Cabomba caroliniana | Cabombaceae | Invasive Alien Plant List |
Elodea nuttallii | Hydrocharitaceae | Invasive Alien Plant List |
Heracleum sosnowskyi | Apiaceae | A2 List |
Humulus scandens | Cannabaceae | A2 List |
Impatiens glandulifera | Balsaminaceae | Invasive Alien Plant List |
Ludwigia peploides | Onagraceae | A2 List |
Myriophyllum aquaticum | Haloragaceae | Invasive Alien Plant List |
Sources
Sîrbu C, Anastasiu P, Urziceanu U, Camen-Comănescu P, Sîrbu I, Popa I, Ioja C, Gavrilidis A, Oprea A (2021) Invasive alien plant species in Romania of European Union concern. Environmental and Socio-economic studies 9, 1-22.