Invasive alien plants on the Island of Pantelleria (Italy)
Island biodiversity is typically more vulnerable to invasive alien species compared to mainland areas. The volcanic island of Pantelleria (Italy) is a designated national park, located in the centre of the Sicily Channel, between Tunisia and Sicily and has a native vascular flora comprising over 600 taxa. The island has a surface area of 85 km2 with a maximum altitude of 836 m a.s.l. As with many island habitats, Pantelleria is at risk from anthropogenic influences, climate change, and invasive alien plant species. Although most taxa showed a relatively limited distribution, many of the non-native species are increasing their abundance and area, with the potential to be invasive species on the island in the near future (Table 1). The currently limited occurrences of these species suggests they are in the early stages of the invasion curve, when intervention is feasible and most likely to succeed. Prioritizing species for management can contribute to the conservation of native species and the preservation of the ecosystem of Pantelleria. Cenchrus setaceus (Poaceae) is reported for the first time as established on the island and it shows invasive behaviour.
Table 1. Examples of alien plant species on the island of Pantelleria.
Species | Family | EPPO Status | Origin |
Acacia saligna | Fabaceae | L IAP* | Australia |
Ailanthus altissima | Simaroubaceae | L IAP | Asia |
Boerhavia coccinea | Nyctaginaceae | None | Americas |
Carpobrotus edulis | Aizoaceae | L IAP | South Africa |
Cenchrus setaceus | Poaceae | L IAP | Africa, Asia |
Leucaena leucocephala subsp. glabrata | Fabaceae | L IAP | North & Central America |
Malephora crocea | Aizoaceae | None | South Africa |
Melia azedarach | Meliaceae | None | Asia, Oceania |
Nicotiana glauca | Solanaceae | None | South America |
Opuntia ficus-indica | Cactaceae | None | Central America |
Parkinsonia aculeata | Fabaceae | None | Americas |
Washingtonia robusta | Arecaceae | None | North America |
* L IAP = EPPO List of Invasive Alien Plants
Sources
Minissale P, Cambria S, Montoleone E, Tavilla G, Giusso del Galdo G, Sciandrello S, Badalamenti E, La Mantia T (2023) The alien vascular flora of the Pantelleria Island National Park (Sicily Channel, Italy): new insights into the distribution of some potentially invasive species. BioInvasions Records 12(4), 861–885.