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Invasions! Andreu, J. i Vilà, M. Gestió de
les invasions vegetals a Catalunya Management of vegetal invasions in Catalonia Invasive alien plants are now regarded as one of the greatest threats to native biodiversity. For this reason, the management of invasive plants in Catalonia is being studied and a risk assessment for potential invasive plants has just been undertaken. Our objectives are to: (1) evaluate the problem as perceived by local government, (2) identify those alien plants that constitute a major threat based on the assessment of environmental managers, (3) conduct an inventory of management strategies carried out in the natural protected areas of Catalonia, (4) estimate the economic costs posed by invasive plants management and, finally, (5) generate a list of potential invasive plant species not yet introduced in Catalonia. Our current data has been obtained via the collection of questionnaires sent to numerous environmental managers responsible for the monitoring and prevention of invasive plants. We have completed more than 30 inquiries, 67% of which identified plant invasions as a threat to the native biodiversity. On average, respondents ranked biological invasions fifth in relation to other environmental problems affecting this region. The species most often mentioned in terms of management/prevention was Ailanthus altissima. Prevention measures are not frequently used in the natural parks of Catalonia. For this reason, we have just begun a risk assessment study of potential invasive species in order to prevent the introduction of new alien plants that may have a high probability towards exhibiting invasive behaviors. |
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