Impact of invasive alien plants on pollinators
A new report prepared by the International Union for Conservation of Nature summarises information on terrestrial invasive alien plant species in the European Union which can have a negative impact on pollinators. The report summarizes a literature review where 52 publications on invasive alien plants detail negative impacts of invasive plants on pollinators. In total, 35 invasive alien plant taxa were identified, and they were subsequently grouped and ranked using a combination of (1) their current distribution in Europe, and (2) their impact on pollination. To estimate impact, direct (e.g. negative impacts on abundance on pollinators) and indirect effects (e.g. outcompeting native plant species or habitat modification) were taken into account. Where no published evidence of impact was found (although publications mentioning potential impacts exist), an impact score of one was given. Where there was limited evidence of impact (one published paper supporting negative impacts on pollinators in Europe) a score of two was given. A score of three indicates the highest evidence of impact, where there was more than one published paper supporting negative impacts on pollinators. The results are summarized in Table 1 below. It is noted that the following six species potentially having a high impact on pollinators are also widely distributed in the European Union: Buddleia davidii, Heracleum mantegazzianum, Impatiens glandulifera, Lupinus polyphyllus, Solidago canadensis and S. gigantea. The report also includes non-chemical management methods that can be used to control these invasive alien plants.
Table 1. Invasive alien plants with the potential to negatively impact native plants, pollinators and pollination.
Species | Family | EPPO Status | Impact score |
Amorpha fruticosa | Fabaceae | L IAP | 1 |
Araujia sericifera | Apocynaceae | Obs. List | 1 |
Arundo donax | Poaceae | 2 | |
Asclepias syriaca | Apocynaceae | L IAP | 1 |
Baccharis halimifolia | Asteraceae | A2 List | 1 |
Berberis aquifolium | Berberidaceae | 1 | |
Buddleia davidii | Scrophulariaceae | L IAP | 3 |
Carpobrotus acinaciformis | Aizoaceae | L IAP | 3 |
Carpobrotus edulis | Aizoaceae | L IAP | 3 |
Catalpa speciosa | Bignoniaceae | 1 | |
Cortaderia selloana | Poaceae | L IAP | 1 |
Elaeagnus angustifolia | Elaeagnaceae | 1 | |
Erigeron bonariensis | Asteraceae | 1 | |
Erythranthe moschata | Phrymaceae | 2 | |
Galinsoga parviflora | Asteraceae | 1 | |
Heracleum mantegazzianum | Apiaceae | L IAP | 3 |
Impatiens glandulifera | Balsaminaceae | L IAP | 3 |
Lupinus nootkatensis | Fabaceae | 2 | |
Lupinus polyphyllus | Fabaceae | L IAP | 3 |
Miscanthus spp. | Poaceae | 1 | |
Neltuma juliflora | Fabaceae | A2 List | 1 |
Nicotiana glauca | Solanaceae | 2 | |
Nicotiana tabacum | Solanaceae | 2 | |
Oenothera biennis | Onagraceae | 1 | |
Oenothera speciosa | Onagraceae | 1 | |
Opuntia spp. | Cactaceae | 3 | |
Oxalis pes-caprae | Oxalidaceae | L IAP | 3 |
Reynoutria japonica | Polygonaceae | L IAP | 1 |
Rhododendron ponticum | Ericaceae | L IAP | 3 |
Robinia pseudoacacia | Fabaceae | 2 | |
Senecio inaequidens | Asteraceae | L IAP | 1 |
Solanum elaeagnifolium | Solanaceae | A2 List | 2 |
Solidago canadensis | Asteraceae | L IAP | 3 |
Solidago gigantea | Asteraceae | L IAP | 3 |
Spiranthes cernua x odorata | Orchidaceae | 2 |
EPPO Status:
L IAP = EPPO List of Invasive Alien Plants
Obs List = EPPO Observation List.
Impact score = impact on native pollinators and on pollination:
1 = no published evidence of impact found (although publications mentioning potential impacts exist);
2 = limited evidence of impact (one published paper supporting negative impacts on pollinators in Europe);
3 = high evidence of impact (more than one published paper supporting negative impacts on pollinators).
Sources
Nunes AL (ed.), Pergl J, Rabitsch W (2024) Invasive alien plants most harmful to pollinators in the EU and their management focusing on non-chemical methods. Technical note prepared by IUCN for the European Commission. Available online: https://circabc.europa.eu/ui/group/4cd6cb36-b0f1-4db4-915e-65cd29067f49/library/fbd66c97-970c-4926-a6fb-a53818e739b4/details