Management and prevention of invasive alien species
The expansion of invasive alien species over recent decades has been identified as one of the major components of global change not only affecting native speciesand biodiversity, but also they are considered as a serious threat to the economy and human health. Due to increasing globalisation and climate change, invasive alien species have also become a significant problem in Latvia, threatening native species, communities, and ecosystem functions while causing economic loss and health threats. An effective, comprehensive management system is needed to restrict the spread of established species and reduce their threats, as well as to prevent the introduction of new invasive species. The building blocks of the system contains early warning and immediate eradication of newly introduced species, effective control involving the whole of society, and monitoring of the effectiveness of distribution and management. We plan to create a multifunctional system in Latvia based on these principles. In addition, we plan to test and show interested parties methods to eradicate invasive plant species that have not been used in Latvia so far. By providing financial support, we will involve private landowners and the non-governmental sector in the development and demonstration of effective methods of combating invasive species.
