Abstract
Sustainably managed non-native trees deliver economic and societal benefits with limited risk of spread to adjoining areas. However, some plantations have launched invasions that cause substantial damage to biodiversity and ecosystem services, while others pose substantial threats of causing such impacts. The challenge is to maximise the benefits of non-native trees, while minimising negative impacts and preserving future benefits and options. A workshop was held in 2019 to develop global guidelines for the sustainable use of non-native trees, using the Council of Europe – Bern Convention Code of Conduct on Invasive Alien Trees as a starting point. The global guidelines consist of eight recommendations: 1) Use native trees, or non-invasive non-native trees, in preference to invasive non-native trees; 2) Be aware of and comply with international, national, and regional regulations concerning non-native trees; 3) Be aware of the risk of invasion and consider global change trends; 4) Design and adopt tailored practices for plantation site selection and silvicultural management; 5) Promote and implement early detection and rapid response programmes; 6) Design and adopt tailored practices for invasive non-native tree control, habitat restoration, and for dealing with highly modified ecosystems; 7) Engage with stakeholders on the risks posed by invasive non-native trees, the impacts caused, and the options for management; and 8) Develop and support global networks, collaborative research, and information sharing on native and non-native trees. The global guidelines are a first step towards building global consensus on the precautions that should be taken when introducing and planting non-native trees. They are voluntary and are intended to complement statutory requirements under international and national legislation. The application of the global guidelines and the achievement of their goals will help to conserve forest biodiversity, ensure sustainable forestry, and contribute to the achievement of several Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations linked with forest biodiversity.
Highlights
Non-native trees and sustainably managed plantation forests of non-native trees (NNTs) provide a wide range of forest goods and services and help to reduce the pressure on natural forests (FAO 2010a, b)
Because of their often greater hardiness, faster growth rates, and resistance to climate change, pathogens, and pests compared to native species (Bolte et al 2009; Seidl et al 2017), the standardisation of silviculture techniques, and industrial processes for their products, certain NNTs are favoured over native species in tree planting programmes (Wang et al 2013; Papaioannou et al 2016; Brus et al 2019; Vítková et al 2020)
The GG-NNTs set out in this paper are addressed to all relevant stakeholders
Summary
Non-native trees (hereafter NNTs) and sustainably managed plantation forests of NNTs provide a wide range of forest goods and services and help to reduce the pressure on natural forests (FAO 2010a, b). The GG-NNTs set out in this paper are addressed to all relevant stakeholders (including policy makers, the forestry and agroforestry industries, national forest authorities, certification bodies, environmental organisations, organisations and individuals involved in urban greening, landscape architecture, climate change mitigation, and all other endeavours that rely on the planting and management of trees).
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