Format: ORAL

Gianluigi Bacchetta, Alba Cuena Lombraa, Mauro Fois, Lina Podda, Marco Porceddu

Centro Conservazione Biodiversità (CCB), Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Cagliari, Italia

Since the appearance of Homo sapiens, humans have increasingly become a global force capable of altering the functioning of the entire planetary ecosystem. Among human-induced pressures, plant invasions are considered one of the most impactful processes on biodiversity, due to, among others, their negative influence on food webs, vegetation structure and ecosystem services. This is particularly true in the Mediterranean Basin, which has long been a crossroads for human populations, and especially on islands, where human pressures can be more impactful due to their inherent small size and wider fragmentation. Here we present a largely replicable regional approach from Sardinia (Italy), which starts from the presence and distribution of invasive plants and improves knowledge by investigating the ecology of the species of greatest interest. A dynamic checklist of exotic vascular plants was continuously updated by monitoring and reporting new introductions and changes in status, focusing in particular on those environments that are particularly sensitive, such as most coastal habitats highly threatened by humans impacts. In parallel, the investigation of the ecophysiology of seed germination of some invasive species has made it possible to predict their potential invasion trend and future risk, providing further insights into their control. This information was put into practice by controlling the invasion of some introduced species in different contexts, such as small islands, wetlands and coastal sand dunes. These activities were evaluated not only on the basis of control success, but also on economic costs and feasibility. These experiences highlighted the importance of constantly monitoring the changing local status of exotic species and of sharing and recording all research and practical activities. From a bottom-up perspective, such local experiences provide crucial information to improve the effectiveness of efforts to halt the increasing environmental depletion of native resources.