ALARM
DAISIE
PRATIQUE
Giant Alien - Heracleum mantegazzianum
Thermal requirements
Species traits, local differentiation and phenotypic plasticity as determinants of invasion success in congeneric plants
Comparative Ecology of Generative Reproduction of Alien Plants
Invasion by Heracleum mantegazzianum: the role of time and spatial scales
Database of Alien Woody species with special regard to alien Invasive woody Species in the Czech Republic

Projects

ALARM - Assessing LArge scale environmental Risks for biodiversity with tested Methods; (2004-2008)

Based on a better understanding of terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity and ecosystem functioning ALARM will develop and test methods and protocols for the assessment of large-scale environmental risks in order to minimise negative direct and indirect human impacts.
Research will focus on assessment and forecast of changes in biodiversity and in structure, function, and dynamics of ecosystems. This relates to ecosystem services and includes the relationship between society, economy and biodiversity. In particular, risks arising from climate change, environmental chemicals, biological invasions and pollinator loss in the context of current and future European land use patterns will be assessed.
There is an increasing number of case studies on the environmental risks subsequent to each of these impacts. This yields an improved understanding on how these act individually and affect living systems. Whereas the knowledge on how they act in concert is poor and ALARM will be the first research initiative with the critical mass needed to deal with such aspects of combined impacts and their consequences.
Risk assessments in ALARM will be hierarchical and examine a range of organisational (genes, species, ecosystems), temporal (seasonal, annual, decadal) and spatial scales (habitat, region, continent) determined by the appropriate resolution of current case studies and databases. Socio-economics as a cross-cutting theme will contribute to the integration of driver-specific risk assessment tools and methods and will develop instruments to communicate risks to biodiversity to end users, and indicate policy options to mitigate such risks
The ALARM consortium combines the expertise of 53 partners from 26 countries (14 EU, 7 NAS, Israel, Switzerland, and 3 INCO states). ALARM encompasses 7 SMEs as full partners with central responsibilities and with a share of >10% of the project resources.
General objectives:
1)   To develop an integrated large scale risk assessment for biodiversity as well as terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems as a part of environmental risk assessment.
2)   To focus on risks consequent on climate change, environmental chemicals, rates and extent of loss of pollinators and biological invasions.
3)   To establish socio-economic risk indicators related to the drivers of biodiversity pressures as a tool to support long-term oriented mitigating policies and to monitor their implementation.
4)   To develop, for the first time, a research network that is consistently thinking, interacting, and investigating on a continental scale across different environmental problems (impacts) and across different spatial and temporal scales of ecosystem diversity changes.
5)   To provide a contribution to objective based politics, to policy integration and to derive outcome-oriented policy measures in the field of biodiversity preservation by contributing to the integrated assessment of socio-economic drivers affecting biodiversity and integrated, long-term oriented means to mitigate them.
Project is supported within the 6th framework programme of EU
official project web page: http://www.alarm-project.ufz.de
Top

DAISIE - Delivering Alien Invasive Species Inventories for Europe; (2005-2008)

Effective control of invasive alien species has been hampered by a) the lack of monitoring for alien species at frequent enough intervals in regions of concern; b) a means to report, verify the identifications, and warn of new sightings; and c) risk assessments that predict the likelihood of a particular species becoming invasive. Europe has yet to establish a programme with the primary goal of detection, quantifying the possible risk, and warning managers before a respective alien species spreads beyond its point of initial introduction. Such a programmes should provide:
·   a warning system to alert regional managers,
·   an inventory of alien species against which invasive alien species can be determined,
·   a European information dissemination system,
·   an early detection and monitoring system for alien species,
In response to these requirements, DAISIE will deliver a European “one-stop-shop” for information on biological invasions in Europe. It will bring together:
·   The European Alien Species Expertise Registry: a directory of researchers and research
·   European Alien Species Database: including all known naturalized alien species in Europe
·   European Invasive Alien Species Information System: descriptions of all naturalized alien species known to be invasive in Europe
·   Species Distribution Maps and Spatial Analysis: Distribution maps of all invasive alien species in Europe known or suspected of having environmental or economic impacts.
DAISIE will be a pivotal instrument in developing a Europe-wide strategy that encompasses both the geographical scale of the problem and unites the study of different taxa in marine, freshwater and terrestrial environments. DAISIE will address the need for a regional network of invasive alien species information. With direct access to national knowledge bases throughout Europe, those addressing the invasive alien species challenge could easily obtain data on which species are invasive or potentially invasive in particular habitats, and use this information in their planning efforts. Objectives of DAISIE project will be delivered via an international team of leading experts in the field of biological invasions, latest technological developments in database design and display, and an extensive network of European stakeholders. Project is supported within the 6th framework programme of EU
DAISIE Handbook of alien species in Europe available NOW from SPRINGER
official project web page:http://www.europe-aliens.org
Top

PRATIQUE - Enhancements of pest risk analysis techniques; (2008-200.)

PRATIQUE will carry out all the key work listed in the call and address the major challenges for pest risk analysis (PRA) in Europe. This will be achieved through three principal objectives:
   * to assemble the datasets required to construct effective PRAs valid for the whole of the EU.
   * to conduct multi-disciplinary research that enhances the techniques used in PRA
   * and to ensure that the PRA decision support scheme meets its purpose, is efficient and user-friendly.
Pest risk analysts, phytosanitary experts, invasive alien species specialists, ecologists, economists and risk modellers from 13 leading institutes in the EU, one from Australia and one from New Zealand will produce the first structured inventory of PRA datasets for the EU and undertake targeted research to improve existing procedures and develop new methods for:
   1. the assessment of economic, environmental and social impacts,
   2. summarising risk in effective, harmonised ways that take account of uncertainty,
   3. mapping endangered areas
   4. pathway risk analysis and systems approaches and
   5. guiding actions during emergencies caused by outbreaks of harmful pests.
The results will be tested with a representative range of the major pests and invasive alien species affecting the cultivated and uncultivated habitats of the EU and will be independently validated by phytosanitary experts. The deliverables will be provided as protocols, decision support systems and computer programs with examples of best practice made available to pest risk analysts through modules and direct links to the PRA scheme. The PRA scheme will be web-enabled providing:
   1. new users with context-sensitive guidance,
   2. experts with a more efficient and user-friendly process and greatly enhanced access to key datasets and analytical tools,
   3. policy makers with an improved and robust scientific basis for managing risks and
   4. stakeholders with a transparent presentation of the risks. Project is supported within the 7th framework programme of EU
official project web page:https://secure.csl.gov.uk/pratique/index.cfm
Top

Giant Alien - Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) a pernicious invasive weed: Developing a sustainable strategy for alien invasive plant management in Europe; (2001-2005)

Alien invasive plants such as Heracleum mantegazzianum are having a severe impact on biodiversity in Europe but no sustainable solutions are available to stop their spread and prevent future invasions. The overall objective of the project is therefore to develop an integrated management strategy that comprises effective, practicable and sustainable means of controlling an alien non-agricultural weed (H. mantegazzianum). This will provide a generic control strategy to safeguard the biodiversity of Europe from the increasingly serious threat of other alien invasives. In addition to the effective control of this species, a concept would be produced which could serve as a template by which other exotic species could be controlled or prevented from reaching the invasive phase. The overall objective will be achieved through the following objectives:
1)   creating a knowledge base for H. mantegazzianum including genetics, taxonomy, biology and ecology
2)   modelling the invasion of the species at the local and continental scale
3)   searching for, and assessing potential biological control agents in the area of origin of H. mantegazzianum for potential future use in Europe, including a risk-benefit analysis, an evaluation of existing European guidelines for the importation of exotic organisms, and an implementation plan
4)   investigating presently applied mechanical and chemical control methods together with possible measures to reduce and prevent further dispersal of H. mantegazzianum and other alien invasive weeds.
5)   integrating the resultant knowledge and experience to produce best practice guidelines and an integrated control strategy
6)   disseminating this knowledge to practitioners across Europe to implement effective and economic sound control measures.
Project was supported within the 5th framework programme of EU
official project web page: http://www.giant-alien.dk

Pyšek P., M.J.W. Cock, W. Nentwig & H.P. Ravn (2007): Ecology and Management of Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum). - CAB International Promo leaflet
Top

Thermal requirements for the development of ectotherms: searching for general patterns among plants and insects; (2009-2013)

The ontogenetic development of ectotherm organisms, plants and insects, is a function of a given temperature and time over which it is acting (thermal time). This concept is well developed for insects, but for plants it was only applied to crops to model their development. The project will carry out the first study of the effect of thermal time on ontogenesis for a large set of plant species. Under strictly defined conditions in climatic chambers, we will test whether individual phenological stages of each plant species have the same lower developmental threshold, and whether development of each species is constrained by predicted thermal window, as formerly revealed in insects. Transitions between four ontogenetic stages will be tested in 80-100 native and alien herbs under six constant temperatures. The data will be used, together with a database of thermal characteristics of ca 500 insect species (mainly pests and their natural enemies), to assess the risk of spread of these species under global climate changes. The study will make it possible to generalize the concepts of common species-specific developmental thresholds and constraint thermal windows to all ectotherms, and improve understanding of adaptations which shape their distribution.
Project coordinator: V. Jarošík and L. Moravcová
Project is supported by Czech Science Foundation
Top

Species traits, local differentiation and phenotypic plasticity as determinants of invasion success in congeneric plants; (2007-2011)

Understanding processes facilitating spread of alien plants is a key priority in the study of biological invasions. The project is to focus on the role of species traits, phenotypic plasticity and local differentiation in determining the invasion success of alien plants. The investigation will be carried out using 4 congeneric annual species with similar life-history and similar habitats, but differing in the invasion status: highly invasive Impatiens glandulifera, less invasive I. parviflora, native I. noli-tangere, and I. capensis, potentially invasive to Czech Republic. The species provide an excellent experimental model due to reducing common biases associated with phylogeny and differing habitats. The study will focus on seed ecology and plant performance under various levels of environmental factors (temperature, canopy shade, soil moisture, nutrient level). To assess the ability to select the appropriate genotypes, a 4-year selection experiment to simulated canopy shade will be carried out.
Project coordinator: H. Skálová
Project is supported by Czech Science Foundation
Top

Comparative Ecology of Generative Reproduction of Alien Plants; (2005-2008)

The project is aimed at obtaining detailed information about reproductive characteristics of a large number of naturalized species of the Czech flora. Traditional approaches searching for species attributes as determinants of invasiveness have been based so far on only vague estimates of these characteristics which are difficult to obtain for a large numbers of species. Nevertheless, there is an agreement that reproductive characteristics are crucial for the outcome of invasion. In total, 60–100 species will be sampled in the field and by using standard methods, quantitative information on fecundity, germination pattern and dormancy, diaspore morphology, dispersibility, seedling RGR, breeding system, clonality, and genome size will be obtained. In addition, DNA of a subset of species currently in their lag phase of invasion will be sampled and stored for comparison with future state and assessment of changes in genetic make up and their role in the invasion process; sampling will be done to cover the genetic variation of populations involved. The project will make use of previously acquired detailed knowledge of each species behaviour at the territory of the country and statistical analysis will be designed to seek predictors of these attributes by using parameters obtained during the project for each species involved. Statistical analysis used will make it possible to identify net effects of predictors, unbiased by correlative structure of the data. By employing a comparative ecological approach, the project is aimed at diminishing the gap between comparative studies of alien floras and detailed case studies of particular species.
Project coordinator: L. Moravcová
Project is supported by Czech Science Foundation
Top

Invasion by Heracleum mantegazzianum: the role of time and spatial scales; (2008-2011)

The project is focussed on the population dynamics of an invasive plant species Heracleum mantegazzianum assessed at various spatial and temporal scales. Information on (i) population dynamics in permanent plots (10 m2, 10 years), (ii) the history of invasion in the Slavkovský les region reconstructed by using aerial photographs (ca 600 km2, 50 years) and (iii) long-term persistence in invaded sites in the Czech Republic (ca 78,000 km2, 150 years) will be combined to explore dynamics of spread at different scales, as well as the role of long-distance dispersal and historical changes in land-use. Data will also provide basis for modelling the response of the species to the variety of control measures, which will result in suggesting the most appropriate management of this invasive species. By using this model system, the project will also contribute to general understanding of the metapopulation dynamics of monocarpic perennial plants and determinants of colonization processes.
Project coordinator: J. Pergl
Project is supported by Grant Agency of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
Top

Database of Alien Woody species with special regard to alien Invasive woody Species in the Czech Republic

The new database of alien woody species introduced to the Central Europe was developed for fill the information gap. Database of Alien Woody species with special regard to alien Invasive woody Species in the Czech Republic (DAWIS) represents a new tool for ecology of plant invasions but also for horticulture and landscape planning. The DAWIS database was primary developed for the area of the Czech Republic. The DAWIS includes data about alien woody species distributed by garden centres and widely planted in the Czech Republic. However many characteristics are specific for the Czech Republic, the most information is meaningful for the whole Central Europe and other regions with temperate climate. The special focus is taken to the species escaped from the cultivation. Therefore the DAWIS database could be used as valuable tool not only for identifying traits related to the invasiveness of the alien woody species.
Responsible person: Martin Křivánek
Download the database here (Zipped file; 39 MB). Follow instructions in readme.txt to instal the database.
Top