EUCAMED: the first inventory of eucalypts introduced to the Mediterranean Basin

The eucalypts (genera Eucalyptus, Corymbia, and Angophora) comprise 934 species, most of them endemic to Australia. In Mediterranean countries their long introduction history is evident in plantations and is well documented in an extensive literature that details their propagation and uses. This study provides the first comprehensive inventory of the eucalypts introduced to the Mediterranean Basin. Specifically, it seeks to quantify the number of species and hybrids currently introduced, and to harmonize available records into an informative, and spatially explicit inventory. EUCAMED (Eucalypt records in the Mediterranean Basin) currently comprises 4,103 records (taxon × country × site) on 387 taxa spread across 21 Mediterranean countries extracted from 445 references. These are categorized into: 3,811 records (387 taxa) as cultivated, 205 records as casual (19 taxa), 50 naturalized records (17 taxa), 34 records (14 taxa) that failed to establish populations, and 3 invasive records represented by two taxa. Overall, 296 species, 17 subspecies, 17 autonyms, 3 varieties, 2 cultivars, and 52 hybrids were found. Each record incorporated into the inventory was verified by qualified plant experts. EUCAMED provides a new resource to support macroecological and biogeographical research on this environmentally and socioeconomically important taxonomic group in the Mediterranean Basin.