Invasives Blog

In May 2015 the following datasheets were published on CABI’s Invasive Species Compendium (ISC). You can explore the open-access ISC here: www.cabi.org/isc

Bubalis bubalis (Asian water buffalo) – domesticated herds of the Asian water buffalo are widely kept across Asia and southern Europe, where they are considered naturalised and not invasive. However, introduced populations in Australia and South America have proved more problematic. B. bubalis competes with cattle in South American grazing land, and has significant negative impacts on rainforests, floodplains and tropical savannahs in northern Australia.

Fibropapillomatosis – thought to be caused by Chelonid herpesvirus 5, fibropapillomatosis is a disease of sea turtles that causes internal and external tumours. Although considered benign, these tumours can hinder swimming, feeding, sight, buoyancy and even breathing, sometimes leading to death. Fibropapillomatosis occurs most commonly in green turtles, but has been reported in six other species, and is now considered a tropical pandemic, with infection rates above 70% in some regions.

Lygodium microphyllum (old world climbing fern) – native to tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia and Oceania, the old world climbing fern was introduced to the USA as an ornamental in the mid-1900s. It has aggressively invaded forested wetlands, particularly in Florida, where it smothers undergrowth, shrubs and even tall trees – you may recognise L. microphyllum as the rampant invasive in the banner at the top of the ISC homepage.

Other invasive species datasheets recently published include:

Alopecurus myosuroides (black-grass)

Ammophila arenaria (marram grass)

Batis maritima (saltwort)

Conium maculatum (poison hemlock)

Leiothrix lutea (red-billed leiothrix)

Linaria vulgaris (common toadflax)

Pastinaca sativa (parsnip)

Poecilia latipinna (sailfin molly)

Rhizophora mangle (red mangrove)

Salsola paulsenii (barbwire Russian thistle)

Stachytarpheta cayennensis (blue snakeweed)

Vicia villosa (hairy vetch)