A dataset of plant communities invaded by Acacia sp. pl. and Robinia pseudoacacia in Italy

Abstract The full extent of the ecological threat posed by non-native invasive leguminous N-fixing trees to Italian ecosystems has not been thoroughly documented at the national level. This study, conducted by the Working Group on Alien Species of the Italian Botanical Society, aims to develop a comprehensive dataset that provides information on invaded and non-invaded areas, supporting multi-scale ecological analyses on the impact of black locust ( Robinia pseudoacacia ) and different Acacia sensu lato species across Italy. We conducted paired vegetation surveys across 18 distinct invasion contexts, comparing invaded and non-invaded plant communities. These invasion contexts were selected opportunistically by the participating research groups, based on the availability of well-documented sites where the focal species were already established and exerting ecologically relevant effects. Overall, we conducted 342 vegetation surveys across 10 Italian administrative regions and identified 824 plant species. Our surveys highlighted areas affected by five invasive species, including A. dealbata, A. mearnsii, A. saligna , Vachellia karroo , and R. pseudoacacia . Most of the surveys focused on areas invaded by A. saligna . The plant formations investigated fall under 23 EUNIS habitat codes and 10 Natura 2000 habitats. The most frequently occurring vegetation types under the EUNIS code are temperate and Mediterranean-montane scrub, and the most frequently investigated habitat is priority habitat 2250*: Coastal dunes with Juniperus sp. pl. This dataset provides a robust baseline that can facilitate more detailed assessments of the impacts of these invasive species on native ecosystems.

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Publication Details

Journal
Plant Biosystems - An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant Biology
Published
2026-02-25
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s44473-026-00108-6
Primary Topic
Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
Type
article
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article

A dataset of plant communities invaded by Acacia sp. pl. and Robinia pseudoacacia in Italy

Robert P. Wagensommer, Davide Dagnino, Alessio Turco, Michele Mugnai et al.
Plant Biosystems - An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant Biology
Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
article

A dataset of plant communities invaded by Acacia sp. pl. and Robinia pseudoacacia in Italy

Robert P. Wagensommer, Davide Dagnino, Alessio Turco, Michele Mugnai, Daniele Viciani, Alice Misuri, Marco Varricchione, Francesco Rota, Maria Enrica Boi, Giuseppe Brundu, Elisabeth Kindermann, A. Gabellini, Elena Barni, Enrico Vito Perrino, Simonetta Bagella, Emanuele Fanfarillo, Carmelo María Musarella, Saverio Sciandrello, Salvatore Cambria, Giacomo Mei, Giovanni Spampinato, Vanessa Lozano, Andrea Coppi, Lina Podda, Dario Azzaro, Claudia Turcato, Laura Celesti‐Grapow, Tiberio Fiaschi, Leopoldo de Simone, Giovanni Rivieccio, Silvia Cascone, Lorenzo Lazzaro, Lorenzo Gianguzzi, Gianmarco Tavilla, Alicia Teresa Rosario Acosta, Eugenia Siccardi, Michele Lonati, Angela Stanisci, Pietro Minissale, Valentina L. A. Laface, Marco Pittarello, Maria Carla de Francesco, Claudia Angiolini, Gianluigi Bacchetta, Giuseppe Bazan, Flavio Marzialetti, Gianniantonio Domina, Gianpietro Giusso del Galdo
article en

Abstract

Abstract The full extent of the ecological threat posed by non-native invasive leguminous N-fixing trees to Italian ecosystems has not been thoroughly documented at the national level. This study, conducted by the Working Group on Alien Species of the Italian Botanical Society, aims to develop a comprehensive dataset that provides information on invaded and non-invaded areas, supporting multi-scale ecological analyses on the impact of black locust ( Robinia pseudoacacia ) and different Acacia sensu lato species across Italy. We conducted paired vegetation surveys across 18 distinct invasion contexts, comparing invaded and non-invaded plant communities. These invasion contexts were selected opportunistically by the participating research groups, based on the availability of well-documented sites where the focal species were already established and exerting ecologically relevant effects. Overall, we conducted 342 vegetation surveys across 10 Italian administrative regions and identified 824 plant species. Our surveys highlighted areas affected by five invasive species, including A. dealbata, A. mearnsii, A. saligna , Vachellia karroo , and R. pseudoacacia . Most of the surveys focused on areas invaded by A. saligna . The plant formations investigated fall under 23 EUNIS habitat codes and 10 Natura 2000 habitats. The most frequently occurring vegetation types under the EUNIS code are temperate and Mediterranean-montane scrub, and the most frequently investigated habitat is priority habitat 2250*: Coastal dunes with Juniperus sp. pl. This dataset provides a robust baseline that can facilitate more detailed assessments of the impacts of these invasive species on native ecosystems.

Plant Biosystems - An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant BiologyVol. 160(3)
University of Siena (IT), University of Foggia (IT), Roma Tre University (IT), University of Molise (IT), University of Sassari (IT), Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (IT), University of Cagliari (IT), University of Urbino (IT), Marconi University (IT), University of Catania (IT), Fondazione Vincenzo Pansadoro (IT), University of Florence (IT), University of Turin (IT), University of Reggio Calabria (IT), University of Milano-Bicocca (IT), Sapienza University of Rome (IT), University of Palermo (IT)
Life below water
Openalex Percentile: Top 46%
Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
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