Effects of Acer negundo Invasion in Europe
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61326/silvaworld.v5i1.466Keywords:
Alien species, Combat box elder, Control, Effect on biodiversity, Invasive tree, PestsAbstract
Aim of this review is to explain why the tree Acer negundo, a North American native species, is not considered at the European level as a priority invasive alien species. The analyzed information refers both to American country of origin and to other countries such as China, the majority focusing on the European continent. The study refers to a single taxon, Acer negundo-Box elder, but other taxa are also mentioned with which it competes or have represents pests. The desk study is based on the analysis of literature for the period 1960-2022; and was focused on species description (morphological characters, biological and ecological requests, pests); invasive particularities of specie; effect on biodiversity; mitigation effects of species invasion; eradication, containment and control mechanisms. Box elder is a non-native species for Europe that has a low degree of invasibility. It penetrates only in habitats disturbed by human activities, it is more competitive compared to willow and poplar, but it can be eliminated by Alnus incana and Fraxinus excelsior. Among the three main categories of control (chemical, mechanical and biological), the most effective and selective is the one with glyphosate, but mixed options (mechanical and chemical) are also recommended. Taking into account the negative effects on the ecosystems it entered, but also the low degree of invasion and the fact that are effective methods of combating it, we concluded that this invasive foreign species is not a priority for combating, only monitoring being necessary.
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