Occurrence rates of invasive plants in limestone quarries (Southern Belgium)

In quarries, invasive plant species can slow down the installation of high conservation value vegetation. Successful management of invasive requires, at first, a quantitative assessment of invasion levels. Although European legislation has adopted an ambitious strategy against invasive species, there is still a lack of knowledge about their occurrence in quarries.

The aim of this study was to evaluate occurrence rates of invasive plant species in limestone quarries throughout Wallonia (Southern Belgium) and identify high priority and emerging invasive plants for adapted management.

During 2016 vegetation period, forty quarries were selected by stratified sampling, using abandoned and active quarries as strata. Within selected quarries, two-meter wide transects were established to cross all activity sectors. Transects were divided in 10x2m plots, resulting in 2% of total surface of each quarry being surveyed. Cover and number of individuals of invasive plants species were recorded in each plot. Species considered were those of Harmonia list (67 species), the reference at the Wallonia scale. More than 30 000 plots were surveyed.

Results of our recent study are presented (occurrences rates by species, mean percentage cover per site). First results indicate that dominant invasive species originate from different introduction paths: (i) planted (Robinia pseudoacacia); (ii) ornamentals (Cotoneaster horizontalis) and (iii) spontaneous colonization (Senecio inaequidens) - and follow various invasion dynamics. We propose research and management methods to be directed towards limitation of top ten frequent species (e.g. Buddleia davidii, Senecio inaequidens), and to establish a detection system for the emerging invasive plants.