S2, E4: Ailanthus altissima: the invasive tree threatening Protected Areas.
Description
The Non-indigenous and Invasive Species in S2, E4 is not an aggressive crustacean or insect, it's a pungent, invasive tree, called Ailanthus altissima, the 'Tree of Heaven', known to horticulturalists as the 'Tree from Hell'. It excretes toxins to displace other plants, produces millions of seeds a year and extends underground suckers that grow into thick clusters of trees, which makes it difficult to eradicate. Native birds and animals can’t nest or feed anywhere near it, which makes its presence in the Alta Murgia National Park in southern Italy particularly worrying.
Carmela Marangi from the National Research Council of Italy in Bari and Ismael Navas-Delgado, LifeWatch ERIC ICT-Core and University of Málaga, speak about harmonising ground observations with satellite imagery provided by the EU Copernicus program and the development of dedicated online tools and services within the LifeWatch ERIC virtual research environment. The Ailanthus workflow can also be applied to other species in other regions, and will assist authorities involved in environmental regulation, among other things, comply with EU regulation 1143/ 2014, whereby European member states have to report on Invasive Alien Species and the steps taken to prevent their spread.
United States
