Identification Guide to the Non-Native Invasive Plants of Britain and Ireland

A comprehensive and heavily illustrated identification guide to non-native invasive plants.
Includes a chart to quickly establish which species are controlled by national and European legislation.
Explains why invasive species are problematic, how they disperse and colonise, and what we can do to prevent them from arriving.

Subject: botany-plant-science-forestry ecology natural-history Series: pelagic-identification-guides

Tags:

biogeography
botany
Coming Soon
ecology
identification
invasive species
plant ID
plant taxonomy
plants

Description

This accessible guide gives you the tools to be confident in identifying and managing frequently encountered non-native invasive plants in Britain and Ireland.

Invasive alien species (IAS) are one of the biggest drivers of global biodiversity loss along with climate change and habitat fragmentation. If allowed to colonise unchecked, they can have irreversible negative impacts on the integrity of the natural environment and associated ecosystem services. In spite of widescale efforts, there has been an almost exponential increase in new introductions to Britain and Ireland in the last 20 years. The only way we can tackle them is to engage both professionals and the public in mapping their distribution, and to encourage everyone to take the right actions to contain them. This book will help you:

- Identify frequently encountered non-native invasive plants and know their potential impacts.
- Differentiate lookalikes, including how to separate native species from closely related non-native invasive species.
- Understand the extent of invasive potential, including trees, grasses, freshwater aquatics and seaweeds.
- Quickly check the legislation so you know which species should be reported and to whom.
- Prevent mistakes – often, with best intentions, people take action which makes the situation worse.
- Avoid introducing invasive species into your gardens and local environment.

Packed with illustrations, maps and tips, this book is a practical tool and reference for professional ecologists, environmentalists, gardeners and everyone interested in the protection and sustainable management of our countryside and green spaces.

DOI: 10.53061/DBCW5796

Reviews

A vital and timely guide to the changing face of our flora - fascinating, eye-opening - essential for botanists, gardeners, and the curious alike.
—Conrad McCormick, Garden Designer and Environmental Scientist
This superb and useful book is a must-have for anyone who is responsible for managing a patch of British or Irish land or water, at a scale anywhere between that of a garden border and a national park.
—Dr Julian Caldecott, ecologist and writer
This is a great and very useful book - one of those you didn’t know you needed until it was written. Thankfully, it has been and will now be my regular ‘turn-to’ guide for all those odd non-native plants that you encounter which often aren’t in the standard plant ID guides. I thought I was reasonably familiar with most terrestrial invasive plants but this opened my eyes to the full range of species that might be encountered.
—Dr Vin Fleming OBE, former co-leader International Advice, Joint Nature Conservation Committee

About the Author

Fran Giaquinto CEnv MCIEEM is a freelance plant ecologist. In 2019, she was awarded Chartered Environmentalist (Society for the Environment) status in recognition of her work with invasive alien plant species. She has a 30-year record of delivering evidence-based solutions to environmental problems, focusing on the management of invasive species, restoration of damaged habitats and the protection of biodiversity. She is named inventor on four patents.

Phoebe O’Brien is a field botanist and expert in vascular plant identification and ecology. She is one of the vice county recorders for Co. Clare, Ireland, for the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland, and working with the National Parks and Wildlife Service (Ireland) on the Great Irish Grasslands project. She is a skilled communicator with a passion for outreach and field-based teaching.

The authors have collaborated on two previous plant identification guides.

Elisabeth Harden studied History of Art at Edinburgh University and later, painting and printmaking In Brighton. Her work, mainly in water colour, has also included murals and cartoons. She is the author of several books including The Watercolour Flower Painters Pocket Palette, Printmaking for Children, and An Introduction to Painting Flowers, which offers practical guidance and encouragement to artists and has been translated into many languages. She has taught and exhibited both here and abroad and now lives in Sussex with her husband Alec where their garden, on the edges of the South Downs, is a constant inspiration for paintings of both wild and cultivated plants.