Invasion at the Edge: The Case of Rosa rugosa (Rosaceae) in Italy

Abstract

The Japanese Rose (Rosa rugosa) is a perennial shrub belonging to the family Rosaceae. It was introduced in Europe from East Asia as an ornamental plant in the XIX century and is now considered an invasive species, especially in northern Europe, colonising the Atlantic and Baltic coastal dune habitats and threatening local biodiversity. However, little is known about its presence and invasion patterns in the Mediterranean area. In Italy, R. rugosa has been classified as naturalised and just a few observations have been recorded in dune habitats in the North Adriatic coast. Here, we review the published data on R. rugosa in Europe and present preliminary data on the invasive pattern of R. rugosa on the Italian North Adriatic coast. We surveyed the coastline in two locations (i.e., Brussa and Bibione, Italy) where we characterised the dimension and structure (i.e., number of ramets and stem height) of the R. rugosa populations and listed the associated floristic composition. No occurrence of R. rugosa was recorded in Bibione, probably due to the success of the restoration project carried out on that site. In contrast, several stands of R. rugosa were found in Brussa, where many other alien species were also found (accounting for 15.28% of the sampled species). Given the strong invasiveness of R. rugosa, it is important to keep data on its distribution up-to-date and investigate its ecology and physiology to promote appropriate management strategies to control its spread and anticipate its future potential distribution.

Assessment of current and future invasive plants in protected dune habitats of the Atlantic coastal region

“…The most efficient way of removing patches of R. rugosa is through excavation, but in such a way that rhizomes and roots are prevented from re-suckering (Ribotta et al 2021). As a general rule, plants are dug up to a meter deep.…”

“…The sieved material needs to be disposed of properly, taking into account that rocks, metal, plastics and other litter have become inter-mixed. The removal of patches in this way leads to bare patches of sand, that are prone to aeolian drift (Ribotta et al 2021). If undesired, a strategy should be included to prevent this from happening, by planting native vegetation (marram grass Ammophila arenaria) or placing barriers (e.g.…”

“…Whatever the choice of action and its initial success, there is a need for continued dedication in performing aftercare following initial treatments (Ribotta et al 2021)…”

“…Herbicides can be applied through the cut-stump technique (lubricating the herbicide to cut stems using a brush, sponge or weeper) or by foliar spraying (Didriksen 1999, in Bruun 2005Ribotta et al 2021). For the latter, the spraying preferably targets regrowth, following some disturbance down to ground level (e.g.…”

Review of Invasive Plant Functional Traits and Management Using Remote Sensing in Sub-Saharan Africa

“…In addition to the loss of native flora and fauna species [16][17][18], the IAPs can also decrease the functional diversity of native plant [19,20] and fauna communities [12] leading to functional homogenization. Functional diversity can be defined as a measure of an organism's functional traits that affect one or more aspects of an ecosystem's functioning.…”