Invasive Alien Plants in Protected Areas in Mediterranean Islands: Knowledge Gaps and Main Threats

Protected areas in the Mediterranean islands (PAMIs) hold a unique level of biodiversity and are very sensitive to all human-generated environmental changes, including their synergies. There is a general lack of information on the presence and abundance of invasive plants for the whole set of PAMIs, which are more commonly considered at country level and very rarely as a whole. This is a serious hindrance for management at international levels. Available information on a selected set of PAMIs, key invasive alien plants and their impacts are briefly reported in this chapter. Given the negative ecological and socioeconomic impacts of many invasive alien plants on PAMIs, their management has become an important challenge and a high priority for the conservation of native species and natural areas in the Mediterranean. Specific policies and strategies, including a dedicated definition of priorities, are urgently needed.