Discovering alien species in the early stages

Invasive alien species have negative impacts on nature, economy and human health. Nowadays, we know that also their impact on nature is severe and they are considered one of the biggest threats to biodiversity. In Slovenia, we were in the past years mainly focused on those alien species, which are already invasive and cause major environmental damage. In a way, this was good, because it made us realize how widespread are some invasive species and how much they have already changed our environment. However, to effectively manage invasive species, we have to pay attention to those potentially invasive species, which are not yet present in our country or occur in only a few places. These are the species, for which spread and environmental damage in forests can still be prevented with rapid management response. This goal became the focus of the project LIFE ARTEMIS, in which we will build a comprehensive early warning and rapid response system for invasive alien species in forests. Our focus is on the new potentially invasive species, and we will test different approaches to prevent their spread in our forests. We invite you to join us in our activities and help to protect our forests.