Prioritizing management of invasive alien plant species
Prioritization of invasive alien plants can help focus resources on those species which can have the most impact on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Using Italy as a case study, a new approach to prioritizing invasive alien plants for management has been developed. Through expert consultation invasive non-native plant species were selected based on (1) species not included on the (EU) List of Union concern or the EPPO Lists of alien plants, (2) species with recognised or potential invasive behaviour. Resultant species were then modelled for their potential distribution based on current and future climatic scenarios. Further, a combination of Non-metric MultiDimensional Scaling (NMDS) and cluster analysis was conducted to discriminate between biogeographical regions in Italy and to produce groups of species according to management actions. Finally, the species were evaluated for management, based on the feasibility of eradication, control and containment, and monitoring. For each management action a high or low priority was given. In total, 34 invasive alien plants were identified and seven were selected for eradication action, six for monitoring action, while the remaining species were deemed suitable for control and containment.
Table 1. Thirty-four invasive alien plants identified for prioritization of management in Italy.
Species | Family | Management type | Priority |
Amaranthus emarginatus | Amaranthaceae | Eradication | Low |
Bidens vulgata | Asteraceae | Eradication | Low |
Sida rhombifolia | Malvaceae | Eradication | Low |
Leucaena leucocephala subsp. glabrata | Fabaceae | Eradication | High |
Nelumbo nucifera | Nelumbonaceae | Eradication | High |
Phyllostachys aurea | Poaceae | Eradication | High |
Paraserianthes lophantha subsp. lophantha | Fabaceae | Eradication | High |
Acer negundo | Sapindaceae | Control and containment | Low |
Agave americana | Asparagaceae | Control and containment | Low |
Artemisia annua | Asteraceae | Control and containment | Low |
Austrocylindropuntia subulata | Cactaceae | Control and containment | Low |
Chasmanthe floribunda | Iridaceae | Control and containment | Low |
Cyperus eragrostis | Cyperaceae | Control and containment | Low |
Dactyloctenium aegyptium | Poaceae | Control and containment | Low |
Gomphocarpus fruticosa | Apocynaceae | Control and containment | Low |
Opuntia stricta | Cactaceae | Control and containment | Low |
Vachellia karroo | Fabaceae | Control and containment | Low |
Ambrosia psilostachya | Asteraceae | Control and containment | High |
Anredera cordifolia | Basellaceae | Control and containment | High |
Cenchrus longisetus | Poaceae | Control and containment | High |
Cyperus alternifolius subsp. flabelliformis | Cyperaceae | Control and containment | High |
Melia azedarach | Meliaceae | Control and containment | High |
Mirabilis jalapa | Nyctaginaceae | Control and containment | High |
Parkinsonia aculeata | Fabaceae | Control and containment | High |
Salpichroa origanifolia | Solanaceae | Control and containment | High |
Senecio angulatus | Asteraceae | Control and containment | High |
Yucca gloriosa | Asparagaceae | Control and containment | High |
Zantedeschia aethiopica | Araceae | Control and containment | High |
Robinia pseudoacacia | Fabaceae | Monitoring | Low |
Sorghum halepense | Poaceae | Monitoring | Low |
Washingtonia filifera | Arecaceae | Monitoring | Low |
Amaranthus retroflexus | Amaranthaceae | Monitoring | High |
Arundo donax | Poaceae | Monitoring | High |
Pseudotsuga menziesii | Pinaceae | Monitoring | High |
Sources
Lozano V, Marzialetti F, Acosta ATR, Arduini I, Bacchetta G, Domina G, Laface VLA, Lazzeri V, Montagnani C, Musarella CM, Nicolella G, Podda L, Spampinato G, Tavilla G, Brundu G (2024) Prioritizing management actions for invasive non-native plants through expert-based knowledge and species distribution models. Ecological Indicators 166, 112279. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2024.112279