THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF INVASIVE PLANTS ON COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS

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1 LIFE08NAT/E/0055 THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF INVASIVE PLANTS ON COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS Learn about them and help to protect our coast!

2 Coastal ecosystems are home to important biodiversity and they provide ecosystem services such as hydrological regulation, which helps to prevent floods. One of the main threats to the coastal ecosystems of the Basque Country is the proliferation of invasive exotic plants BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS IN COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS Sea Myrtle Baccharis halimifolia (high marsh, dunes and cliffs) Ice plant Carpobrotus edulis (dunes and cliffs) Spartina alterniflora and Spartina patens (flooded areas) Cotula coronopifolia (subhalophile communities) Spartina alterniflora and Spartina patens Baccharis halimifolia Cotula coronopifolia Carpobrotus edulis Invasive plants can be intentionally brought for their use in gardening or public works, or accidentally in overland or maritime transport, as well as through natural dispersion DISPERSION IMPACTS They can reproduce with a small fragment of root or rhizome. They form dense masses that eliminate the native vegetation of coastal ecosystems. They produce a large number of seeds that are dispersed by the wind, the water or by birds. Some of them produce millions of seeds. They modify the habitat of fauna species and of threatened flora preventing its establishment and reproduction. They grow much faster than autochthonous plants. They transform the features of the environment that they invade by retaining sediments, modifying the salinity and humidity of the ground, etc. They take advantage of degraded or uncultivated areas, but also of small perturbations in the ecosystems to establish themselves. They affect crops, pastures and farms; they modify the landscape and can produce allergies.

3 ELIMINATION IS VERY EXPENSIVE, THEREFORE THE PRIORITY IS PREVENTION Banning their sale and marketing. Avoiding their use in gardening, public works, etc. Maintaining the habitats where they establish themselves in a good state of conservation. Watching out for the appearance of new species and populations. ONCE THEY ARE ESTABLISHED, SWIFT ACTION MUST BE TAKEN Eliminating small populations. Prioritising the most sensitive ecological areas such as wetlands, dunes, etc. Working in coordination with all the agents involved (public administrations, private sector, research centres and the public). THE ELIMINATION ACTIVITIES MUST BE VERY CAREFUL, COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS ARE VERY FRAGILE ENVIRONMENTS A combination of different methods is recommended: Physical (uprooting the plants). Chemical (the application of herbicides in a safe manner by qualified professionals, avoiding the contamination of the surroundings and without affecting other species of flora and fauna). Others, such as flooding or livestock grazing. Respect the vegetation and fauna of the environment: Take into account the breeding seasons of birds and other animals that inhabit coastal ecosystems. Avoid affecting the habitats and the most vulnerable plants. Restore the habitat once the invasive plant has been eliminated. HOW TO DEAL WITH THIS PROBLEM Photograph chosen in the Estuaries: threats and conservation competition by the LIFE Estuaries of the Basque Country Project Author: Eladio Aires Pacheco Title: Jaizubiatik. Amanecer desde las marismas de Jaizubia (Sunrise from the Jaizubia wetlands)(hondarribia)

4 WHAT CAN YOU DO? LEARN MORE Not all exotic plants are invasive, only those that are capable of reproducing themselves and spreading in an aggressive way. Check the catalogue of invasive exotic species in the Basque Country and the regulations that affect them. Information source: Seeds of Baccharis halimifolia trapped in a spiderweb in the Camargue. On windy days the air is filled with tiny seeds that can scatter up to 5 kilometres. Source: LIFE+ Estuaries of the Bsasque Country Project Department of the Environment and Regional Policy of the Basque Government - PREVENT Help to preserve coastal ecosystems. Respect the barrier ropes on dunes, coastal reedbeds and thickets, as well as the vegetation on cliffs. You could become a means of dispersion! If you see invasive plants, make sure that your clothes or footwear do not have seeds or plant fragments attached to them. And never take plants home! Ask for autochthonous plants at your garden centre. Do not exchange plants, seeds or bulbs you do not know the origins of. You could be spreading an invasive plant. ACT Check your garden you might own an invasive plant yourself! If you see invasive plants in the natural environment, you can warn the authorities. Take part in volunteering programmes and in invasive plant elimination activities which are organised periodically in the municipalities of our coast. SPREAD THE WORD After learning about it yourself, tell those around you. Raise awareness in garden centres (request them to sell autochthonous species), in your town council (request that they do not plant exotic species and that they protect coastal ecosystems). Do not discard this leaflet; take it to garden centres, town councils, information centres or interpretation centres.

5 LIFE+ ESTUARIES OF THE BASQUE COUNTRY, A PROJECT FOR THE RECOVERY OF ESTUARIES Baccharis halimifolia is present in all the Basque coast s estuaries. By means of the LIFE+ Estuaries of the Basque Country Project, the main masses of invasive plants have been eliminated and the autochthonous vegetation has been restored in the estuaries of Urdaibai, Lea and Txingudi. Elimination of Baccharis halimifolia and recovery of estuary habitats Over 700 ha treated trees and shrubs planted. 300 ha of estuary habitats recovered. Information on the problem of invasive species in estuaries Teaching and informative material. Guided visits and technical sessions. Exhibitions. Coordination and global action on the Atlantic coast Creation of an international work group. Publication of a management manual. The LIFE programme is the European Commission s financial instrument for the environment. This project has been made possible thanks to the 50% contribution.