Τίτλος:
How Effective Are the Protected Areas of the Natura 2000 Network in
Halting Biological Invasions? A Case Study in Greece
Γλώσσες Τεκμηρίου:
Αγγλικά
Περίληψη:
Invasive alien plant species represent an important threat to various
protected areas of the world, and this threat expected to be further
enhanced due to climate change. This is also the case for the most
important network of protected areas in Europe, the Natura 2000 network.
In the current study we evaluated the distribution pattern of alien
plant taxa across selected continental and insular Natura 2000 sites in
Greece and their potential spread 15 years since first being recorded in
the field. A total of seventy-three naturalized plant taxa were recorded
in the 159 sites under study. At the site level and regardless of the
habitat group, the ratio of invaded areas increased between the two
monitoring campaigns. An increase in the ratio of invaded plots was also
detected for all habitat groups, except for grassland and
riparian-wetland habitats. Precipitation during the dry quarter of the
year was the factor that mainly controlled the occurrence and spread of
alien plant taxa regardless of the site and habitat group. It is
reasonable to say that the characterization of an area as protected may
not be sufficient without having implemented the proper practices for
halting biological invasions.
Συγγραφείς:
Christopoulou, Aikaterini
Christopoulou, Anastasia
Fyllas,
Nikolaos M.
Dimitrakopoulos, Panayiotis G.
Arianoutsou,
Margarita
Λέξεις-κλειδιά:
alien species; climate; European network of protected areas; plant
invasions; temporal scale; habitat group
DOI:
10.3390/plants10102113
