INVASIVE SPECIES: STILL AN EXOTIC PRIORITY IN

UNCLAS ROME 001400

SIPDIS

DEPT PASS OES/ETC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV ETRD TBIO IT FAO
SUBJECT: INVASIVE SPECIES: STILL AN EXOTIC PRIORITY IN
ITALY

REF: 01 STATE 66205


1. ON MAY 2, 2001, SCICOUNS DELIVERED A COPY OF THE U.S.
NATIONAL INVASIVES MANAGEMENT PLAN (REFTEL) TO PATRIZIA DE
ANGELIS, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MOE NATURE CONSERVATION SERVICE.
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 02 ROME 01400 191528Z
IN MID-MAY, DE ANGELIS TOLD US THAT INVASIVE SPECIES IS AN
ISSUE OF GOI CONCERN, BUT AT LOW LEVEL OF PRIORITY. IN
FACT, THE GOI RATIFIED BOTH THE BIODIVERSITY AND BERN
CONVENTIONS - WHICH PROVIDE FOR CONTROL OF INVASIVE ALIEN
SPECIES - BUT IT DOES NOT HAVE SPECIFIC REGULATIONS OR AN
ACTION PLAN TO IMPLEMENT THEM. MOREOVER, ITALY IS FAR
BEHIND THE U.S. SINCE IT STILL HAS TO MAKE A COMPLETE LIST
NOT ONLY OF ITS INVASIVE SPECIES BUT OF PLANT AND ANIMAL
RESOURCES GENERALLY. DE ANGELIS PROMISED TO PASS THE U.S.
PLAN TO HER OFFICE EXPERTS AND ORGANIZE A MEETING AS SOON AS
THEY HAD REVIEWED IT.


2. CONFIRMING THE LOW LEVEL OF INTEREST IN THE TOPIC, DE
ANGELIS AGREED TO MEET AGAIN ONLY IN DECEMBER 2001. SHE WAS
ACCOMPANIED BY PROF. PAOLO BLASI, PRESIDENT OF THE ITALIAN
BOTANICAL SOCIETY. BLASI CONFIRMED THAT INVASIVE PLANTS
PLAY A MINOR ROLE IN ITALY COMPARED TO NORTHERN EUROPE (15-
20 PCT VS 40-50 PCT) DUE TO THE PROTECTIVE ROLE AND GREATER
TEMPERATURE RANGE ASSOCIATED WITH THE MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATE.
IN FACT, THE INGRESS OF ALIEN SPECIES ORIGINATING IN WARMER
CLIMATES INSIDE THE INNER - AND THUS HOTTER - ZONES OF
CENTRAL EUROPEAN CITIES WAS NOT IDENTIFIED IN LARGE
MEDITERRANEAN CITIES IN ITALY, WHERE THE TEMPERATURES OF THE
INNER CITY ARE STILL IN THE RANGE REQUIRED BY THE LOCAL
SPECIES. HOWEVER, THE RELATIVE PROPORTION OF ALIEN SPECIES
TENDS TO INCREASE ALONG WITH THE INCREASING LEVELS OF HUMAN
IMPACT AND URBANIZATION, GENERALLY AS A RESULT OF CLEARING
LAND FOR AGRICULTURE OR SETTLEMENTS, OR MORE LOCALLY, THE
TRANSPLANTING OF EXOTIC PLANT MATERIALS INTO NATIVE GARDENS.
IN ITALY, PALERMO (SICILY) HAS THE GREATEST NUMBER OF
EXOTIC/ALIEN SPECIES, INVADERS COLLECTED INTO THE CITY'S
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 03 ROME 01400 191528Z
BOTANICAL GARDEN.


3. BLASI ADDED THAT ITALY IS STILL CARRYING OUT A CENSUS OF
ALIEN SPECIES IN THE ITALIAN FLORA, INVOLVING MORE THAN 20
ITALIAN UNIVERSITIES. HE ALSO ANNOUNCED THAT THE 2002
EUROPEAN MAN AND BIOSPHERE MEETING WOULD BE HELD ON OCTOBER
7-11 IN ROME. ITALY WILL PROPOSE INCLUDING ROME IN THE
WORLD BIOSPHERE RESERVE LIST.

SEMBLER

UNCLASSIFIED

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2002ROME01400 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED