Alien species as a potential threat for Natura 2000 habitats: a national survey.

ABSTRACT: Invasion by alien species (AS) is one of the most serious threats to ecosystems. In Europe, the Natura 2000 habitats network was established to protect habitats vital for the conservation of biodiversity and function of ecosystems. Therefore, the appearance of AS in Natura 2000 habitats is a warning signal that the most valuable European habitats may be endangered. However, quantitative studies encompassing a wide spectrum of habitats are lacking, and there is no insight into the differences in the level of invasion among habitats. Our survey is based on the State Monitoring of Natura 2000 data and aimed at an assessment of the level of invasion in natural habitat types in Poland. The percentage of invaded locations, number and frequency of alien plant species was assessed in 79 Natura 200

SUBMITTER: Perzanowska J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6855207 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature