Invasive alien species are one of the greatest threats to biodiversity. Many invasive alien plants have been introduced as ornamental plants, and their spread into the wild threatens native species and habitat types important for the European Union.

LIFE OrnamentalIAS addresses ornamental invasive alien plants at three levels: preventive action, early detection and rapid response, and their management and removal.

Project objectives:

The main objective of the project is the prevention, early warning, rapid response, and management of ornamental invasive alien plant species (IAS).

Within the project we will:

• raise awareness among stakeholders and the public on reducing the introduction of ornamental plants from urban areas into nature and on the disposal of garden waste,
• prepare an assessment of the invasiveness of available ornamental plants and develop a code of conduct, improve groundwater management, and conduct research on alternative uses of IAS,
• improve the situation regarding IAS in agriculture and water management by training river protection inspectors and agricultural advisers,
• upgrade the system for preventing further spread of IAS, which will contribute to halting the loss of habitats and wildlife species and enable successful eradication or at least management of IAS relevant to the EU,
• develop an effective method for managing IAS that pose the greatest threat to target habitat types, taking into account habitat restoration effectiveness (restoration of 100 ha of habitats of EU importance),
• ensure the sustainability of results by integrating activities into various plans, to be implemented mainly after the project’s completion. The results will be transferred to other fields and sectors and will provide an important basis for further research and development,
• promote transnational knowledge transfer between Slovenia and Croatia, with the joint development of activities being an important part of the project.