Since 2015, UKCEH studies of the impacts of non-native plants on Cyprus have collected for the island. These have now been published openly on the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) for the benefit of ecological research and conservation on the island. Plant ecologist Dr Oli Pescott tells us more鈥�
Along with several colleagues, I am lucky to have been researching the impacts of invasive non-native species, including plants, on Cyprus since 2015. This was initially through two 鈥淪hort-Term Scientific Missions鈥� funded through the EU program, and more recently through two grants (DPLUS056 and DPLUS088).
Impacts of non-native species
A large part of the work with plant species has focused on the impacts of the invasive small tree, Port Jackson wattle (Acacia saligna), but we have also searched for new non-native species that could have important impacts on the island鈥檚 environment and economy in the future. For example, during a organised in collaboration with the Alien CSI COST Action, we made many new records of species, such as the shrubs Ngaio (Myoporum laetum) and Akeake (Dodonaea viscosa), that are potential future threats to local habitats with high native species diversity.
Other garden escapees detected for the first time during our project include the Small Cobra Lily (Chasmanthe aethiopica) and the White Freesia (Freesia leichtlinii ssp. alba), both plants that are considered to be invasive elsewhere in the Mediterranean.
Images: On the left is the invasive tree, the Port Jackson wattle (Acacia saligna). On the right is a view across the Akrotiri Peninsula.
Open access to data
While data do exist on the topic of non-native species in Cyprus, very little of this has made it into the public domain, and what data are available are often biased taxonomically and spatially, towards charismatic species or tourist hotspots, for example. We resolved early on in our project to release as much of our data as possible, as quickly as possible, to ensure that information on species and habitats was available to all. This was done in the hope that such open access would improve decision-making, both in conservation and in areas that impact on biodiversity, such as local development planning.
"We resolved early on in our project to release as much of our data as possible, as quickly as possible, to ensure that information on species and habitats was available to all." Dr Oli Pescott
This goal has been achieved through several routes. We have published datasets on the , and, most recently, the UKCEH has gained the ability to publish biodiversity data directly to the global biodiversity records website . This ensures that our species data are available to the largest audience possible, because our records will now automatically be included in any searches on that website that cover Cyprus, or for any of the specific species that we have recorded.
This also directly adds value to other parts of our wider project, Researching Invasive Species of K媒pros (). One outcome of this work has been the creation of an interactive non-native species database called 鈥楥yDAS鈥�, the . The species accounts on this platform incorporate maps from GBIF, meaning that the 6,000 plus records we鈥檝e collected over the last five years immediately complement this resource.
Compared to the usual science cycle of collecting data, publishing papers, and then finally releasing data many years later, we are proud that our records are immediately available and clearly highlighted to those concerned about the valuable biodiversity of Cyprus. Other open outputs of our work can be found on the of our project website - watch out for more arriving soon!
Additional information
This work has been carried out with the support of the Akrotiri Environmental Education 皇冠体育国际娱乐, and of the Joint Services Health Unit at RAF Akrotiri.