Overview of a continental database on invasive European plants
Across Europe, more than a hundred invasive plant species pose risks to native biodiversity, ecological communities, and ecosystems. This reality is captured in the first continental-scale database of field studies on the effects of invasive plants, a project led by researchers from the Doñana Biological Station of CSIC and partners including the Institute of Ecology and the Pyrenees. Institute of Ecology of CSIC. The database consolidates decades of field work into a single, freely accessible resource that helps researchers and managers understand how non native plants alter ecological processes across the European landscape.
The database, named Plant Impacts Europe, harmonizes data from 266 scientific publications that describe 4,259 field studies. It catalogues information on 104 invasive species across 29 European countries, providing a continental view of how these species interact with native biota and ecosystems. The study detailing this resource was published in a peer reviewed journal and represents a milestone in comparative invasion biology across temperate zones. The project emphasizes open access so researchers, policymakers, and practitioners can assess ecological risks and prioritize management efforts.
Plant Impacts Europe also presents a broader view of invasive species effects that go beyond single species interactions. The information reflects impacts across all trophic levels—from herbivores and pollinators to decomposers and microbial communities—so that the full ripple effect on ecosystem processes is visible. This inclusivity helps scientists evaluate how invasive plants influence plants, animals, and microbial networks through shifts in competition, predation, and symbiotic relationships.
A notable portion of the current data concentrates on five species that recur most often in field studies: Reynoutria japonica, Impatiens glandulifera, Solidago gigantea, Carpobrotus edulis, and Robinia pseudoacacia. A large share of the research has occurred in temperate and boreal forests and in temperate grasslands. In contrast, fewer studies have addressed deserts, semi arid scrublands, subtropical forests, or high mountain ecosystems in Baltic and Balkan regions, highlighting geographic gaps and opportunities for targeted monitoring and research expansion.
The database provides a straightforward answer to a practical question: does an invasive species increase, decrease, or have a neutral effect on a given ecological variable? This clarity helps guide future research and informs management decisions about how invasive plants may trigger significant ecosystem changes under varying conditions. The initiative is driven by a team led by EBD-CSIC scientists, who coordinate the effort and emphasize the value of standardized reporting for cross site comparisons. They note that Plant Impacts Europe will guide investigations into the conditions under which invasive plants may yield meaningful ecological effects.
Significant effects and ongoing updates
The database is designed to evolve as new field studies become available. Researchers hope to expand coverage to species that are locally rare or have limited distributions, aiming to capture more nuanced responses across landscapes. The findings suggest that impacts vary greatly among invaded areas and depend on the ecological variable measured. For each study, the significance and direction of effects were recorded to illuminate whether invaded sites show declines or increases relative to uninvaded controls.
Across the literature, native species and local communities have been the focus of most studies, with plant responses investigated more frequently than those of animals or microbial communities. A substantial portion of analyzed studies report significant effects, with response variables tending to show more decreases than increases when comparing invaded and uninvaded sites. The results indicate that invasive plant impacts are often strongest at the level of species and communities, rather than entire ecosystems, and that plants frequently experience more pronounced effects than animals or microbes.
The authors stress the importance of expanding investigations into species that remain locally rare and with limited distribution, especially in relation to how they alter plant soil and microbe interactions. Such work will deepen understanding of invasion dynamics and support more effective management actions that protect native biodiversity and ecosystem functions.
Involvement in the project extended beyond EBD-CSIC and IPE-CSIC, with contributions from researchers at the University of Seville, the University of Alcalá, and the University of Fribourg in Switzerland. The author team includes Montserrat Vilà, Alejandro Trillo, Pilar Castro-Díez, Belinda Gallardo, and Sven Bacher. The database appeals to academics, land managers, and environmental policymakers who seek robust, integrative insights into the ecological consequences of plant invasions.
This resource is supported by public funding mechanisms and European programmatic initiatives that prioritize biodiversity research and ecosystem health in Europe.
To access the database and accompanying materials, interested readers can locate the repository and documentation through the project’s official channels. Marked citations in the project literature attribute findings to the contributing researchers and institutions, providing traceability for researchers who aim to replicate or build on this work.
Database of invasive plants in Europe: referenced material available upon request through appropriate academic channels.