Impacto ecológico y aprovechamiento integral de las especies invasoras en el cinturón costero de la provincia de huelva

Resumen

This work is focused on the description, estimate and eventual eradication of invasive species that are multiplying in the coastal line of the province of Huelva (Spain). The main objective is the study of these species in their environmental units, in order to be catalogued, defined, evaluated and, if possible, to take an advantage of them by supporting the sustainability and providing knowledge for their use in agriculture, fishing, livestock, ornamentation and urban areas. Unfortunately, the main problem for the development of this work was the confusing terminology used to define an allochthonous species as an invasive species. That is why there is a real necessity to agree on terms and expression that are recognizable and accepted by all actors involved. Organizations, conventions and public administrations differ on their vision of invasive species depending on their own objectives and interests. What some might understand as an invasive species, will be considered as a potential invasive species for others. Furthermore, others would even consider them harmless for the autochthonous species. Nonetheless, no significant work has been undertaken to quantify the threat that IS (invasive species) pose for the NS (native species) due to their soil use. Therefore, this work has raised the opposite situation: after withdrawing the use of an IS, which has been introduced for economical reasons, it develops in an uncontrolled manner, an alternative application might be useful to manage it. Even more if this would lead to significant savings to the public treasury, who is currently in responsible for the eradication of IS, as the economic benefit would be attractive for private enterprises, who would create jobs by value adding. The results are in line with the objectives and justify the project. Currently, there are no studies available about the features of biological invasions in the studied area. As result this is an obstacle to manage the coastal ecosystems, which are possibly the most affected due to their use and fragility. Hence the importance of this study, which is centred on valuing the potential invasiveness of allochthonous species and discriminate trivial aloctony and an invasion out of control of the natural dynamic of the ecosystem. The discussion is, if all the translocated species should be considered as invasive species or, in contrast, some are invasive and other are naturalized. The same allochthonous species can become invasive if its cultivation is abandoned and there is no longer a control of its spread. Therefore, we have valued the invasive species in different environmental units. We applied at the beginning the currently accepted terminology. Then we reflected on its scientific adequacy, integrating the particular into the general, based on an in-depth description of the theoretically invasive species studied in the coastal line of the province of Huelva. Therefore, we have developed a quantitative as well as qualitative study in order to point out the invasive species. The conclusions were very useful to value the environmental impact of the removing process of invasive species and their influence on the fragile population of the native species, including those that cannot even be used for ornamental items.