International Workshop on Invasive Plants in the
Mediterranean Type Regions of the World
Mèze, FR, 2005-05-25/27

The Workshop, co-organized by the Conservatoire Botanique National Méditerranéen de Porquerolles, the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization, the Council of Europe and the World Conservation Union – Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, was held in Mèze (France), from 25 to 27 May 2005.

Download the complete proceedings of the Workshop ( 4 megabytes)
Read the full Workshop report

It was attended by over 110 experts from 24 countries (including 19 EPPO countries: Algeria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Morocco, Netherlands, Portugal, Serbia & Montenegro, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Tunisia, and the United Kingdom). Experts from the other Mediterranean Type Regions of the World (Northern Chile, California, the Cape Region of South Africa, and Western Australia) presented their experience with invasive species. Download a list of participants.

More pictures from the Workshop: www.ame-lr.org/workshop

A statement was made by the Workshop Mèze Declaration    (French version )

  Session 1: Listing invasive plants and criteria, state of the art.

Setting priorities for invasive alien plant management in South Africa, Dave Richardson et al., South Africa

Development of a ranked inventory of invasive plants that threaten wildlands in the Western US, Joe Di Tomaso, USA

A proposed method of selection and prioritisation of invasive plants in the French Mediterranean area, Sarah Brunel, Jean-Marc Tison, France

A review on geomatic tools for assessing, inventorying and mapping alien plant invasions in the Mediterranean basin, Giuseppe Brundu, Italy

Alien plants in mediterranean ecosystems in the Americas : comparing species richness and composition at local and regional scale, Ramiro Bustamante, Chile

Actual knowledge on the invasive plants in Morocco, Abdelkader Taleb, Morocco

The Global Invasive Species Database (GISD) and the international exchange of invasive species information: using global expertise to help in the fight against invasive alien species, Michael Browne et al., New Zealand

  Session 2: Prevention, dealing with introductions and spread of invasive plants (through horticulture, agriculture, forestry and landscape management).

Changing attitudes to plant introduction and invasives, Vernon Heywood, England

Invasive alien plants in Europe - how can they be regulated? Gritta Schrader, Germany

Importation of exotic organisms - Legislation and regulations in the UE and in France (UE), Dominique Coutinot, France

Invasive plant species in Portugal, Hélia Marchante, Portugal

Engaging the horticulture industry in the process of reducing invasions by exotic plants in wildlands, Valerie Vartanian, USA

"Don't plant a pest" initiative, Joe Di Tomaso , USA

Working with horticulture and landscape professions in the Mediterranean French area. The opinion and experience of a horticulturist, Olivier Filippi, Sarah Brunel, France

  Session 3: Communication, education and awareness-raising on invasive alien plants.

Invasive Species: A biological or a human problem? Jeffrey Mac Neely, Switzerland

A sociological analyse of biological invasions in Mediterranean France, Cecilia Claeys-Mekdade , DESMID-Université de la Méditerranée, Faculté des Sciences de Luminy, France

The “salinisation of weeds'” in Australia. Can invasive plants please stand up! Peter Martin , Australia

Weedbuster Week - a national weeds awareness program in Australia, Sandy Lloyd, Australia

Potential threat of Solanum elaeagnifolium Cav. to the Tunisian fields, Mounir Mekki, Tunisia

  Session 4: Management of invasive plants.

The European strategy on invasive alien species, Piero Genovesi , Italia

Evaluating the costs and benefits of yellow starthistle ( Centaurea solstitialis ) control in California under uncertainty, Karen Jetter, USA

Integration of state weed programs and community-based weed councils in California, Steve Schoenig, USA

Invasive alien plants and coastal landscape quality, Maria Appiani, Italia

Eradication of Carpobrotus in Minorca, Pere Fraga, Spain

Biological control of Mediterranean invaders: getting a quicker bang for you buck! René Sforza and Andy Sheppard, France

The Cooperative Islands Initiative: '”turning back the tide of invasions”, Alan Saunders, New Zealand

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