A checklist of the alien flora of the Tuscan Archipelago (Italy)

Abstract

Biological invasions represent one of the major threats to biodiversity. Their impact is considered to be even higher in the island ecosystems, especially in Mediterranean ones, which host a very high diversity. Moreover nowadays the global changes and the local changes in the socio-economic drivers of these island enhanced human impact on the insular biota, also leading to an increase in alien species introductions and in a shift in the introduction pathways. In this framework, checklists of alien species represent a valuable tool for monitor the invasion process at a local scale. Aim of this paper is to provide an updated Checklist of the alien flora of the Tuscan Archipelago, also reporting some important information such year of first and more recent record and invasion status for each island. Intense field surveys were made to verify the presence of the reported species and detect the presence of new arrivals. The Checklist includes a total of 141 taxa belonging to 101 genera in 49 families. 31 taxa are considered invasive, 62 naturalized and 48 casual. Most of the species were introduced for ornamental purpose, according to socio-economical changes which nowadays see the tourism as the main economic driver in the Archipelago.

Keywords:

• alien flora
• conservation
• islands
• invasions
• Mediterranean
• Tuscan Archipelago

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Corrigendum

Acknowledgements

Thanks are due to N. Ardenghi, G. Brundu, A. Guiggi D. Iamonico, L. Lastrucci and B. Maslin for the useful suggestions. The research was funded by the Tuscan Archipelago National Park (‘Indagini sulle specie esotiche vegetali dell’Arcipelago Toscano’ - Progetto CoR.E.M. – CUP E79E1000012000) and by the Tuscany Region (QuiT-project: Inquinamento biologico e cambiamento climatico: scenari per la Toscana; POR-FSE-TOSCANA 2007-2013, responsable prof.ssa F. Gherardi). The project is also supported by the COST Action TD1209 ‘Alien Challenge’. Thanks are also due to the Director of Webbia dr. Riccardo M. Baldini and the Director of the Department prof. Marco Bazzicalupo to permit the publication of this research.