Considering the fact that invasive alien species (hereinafter: IAS) are among the two biggest global threats to biodiversity, posing as a huge ecological, economical and health threat, a special attention within DTP Sava TIES project is being paid to the management options of the most invasive plants in Sava River basin.
In accordance to DTP Sava TIES work plan, effectiveness and costs of different methods in IAS eradication are to be tested on the most invasive vascular plants in the region. Project consortium has defined 7 pilot areas in 4 countries to be test-plots for the eradication. The sample plots are located in areas of conservation interest being threatened: Nature Park Ljubljansko Barje (Slovenia), Protected Landscape Odransko polje (Croatia), Nature Park Lonjsko Polje (Croatia), National Park Una (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Tišina (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Special Nature Reserve Zasavica (Serbia) and Special Nature Reserve Obedska Bara (Serbia).
In period from 14 to18 September leading partner of the project work package 5 Pilot Implementation – Institute for nature Conservation of Vojvodina Province (Serbia), together with the sites’ managers visited all 7 sites to develop Pilot Implementation Plans.
Having essential local knowledge of species which are posing the biggest ecological and economic threat, site managers have proposed at least two sample plots with invasive plants which are going to be mapped and eradicated, while habitat revitalisation will be monitored for two years. Both biophysical and economical parameters are going to be monitored for evaluation of the pilot measures’ effectivness.
For the purpose of comparative reporting results on costs and biophysical effectiveness of the pilot measures, a Template for Pilot implementation planning was developed. Following the scheme, tools, equipment, staff, labour and efficiency indicators will provide information useful for further larger scale IAS management activities in SRB.
Results which are going to be presented in the Joint implementation report will be used as input for policy improvement guidelines, stakeholder trainings and presented to key decision makers.
Amorpha fruticosa at the shore of Tišina © Iva Miljević
Acer negundo, Amorpha fruticosa and Echinocystis lobata at Tišina © Aleksandra Anja Dragomirović