Managing Invasive Alien Species: Understanding Impacts for Implementing Ecosystems Restoration

Submission Deadline: 30 September 2026 View: 242 Submit to Special Issue

Guest Editors

Dr. Gabriele Galasso

Email: gabriele.galasso@comune.milano.it

Affiliation: Sezione di Botanica, Museo di Storia Naturale di Milano, Milano, 20121, Italy

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Research Interests: botany, floristic, alien species, nomenclature

Dr. Rodolfo Gentili

Email: rodolfo.gentili@unimib.it

Affiliation: Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy

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Research Interests: climate change, conservation biology, restoration ecology, plant ecology, alien species, systematic botany

Dr. Anna Maria Mannino

Email: annamaria.mannino@unipa.it

Affiliation: Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, Italy

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Research Interests: mediterranean marine algae: biodiversity, taxonomy, ecology, conservation and restoration; chemical defenses in marine algae, marine protected areas, biological invasions

Dr. Carmelo Maria Musarella

Email: carmelo.musarella@unirc.it

Affiliation: AGRARIA Department, Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria, Loc. Feo di Vito snc, I-89122 Reggio Calabria, Italy

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Research Interests: botany, flora, vegetation, habitat, landscape, forests, botanical garden, parks, green cities, mangrove

Dr. Adriano Stinca

Email: adriano.stinca@unicampania.it

Affiliation: Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli,  Via Vivaldi 43, I-81100 Caserta, Italy

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Research Interests: Floristic, plant taxonomy, vegetation science,  community ecology, plant biology, biogeography, fire ecology, biodeteriogenic plants on monuments and archaeological sites, plant biodiversity assessment and conservation

Dr. Mariacristina Villani

Email: mariacristina.villani@unipd.it

Affiliation: Centro di Ateneo Orto Botanico, Università di Padova, via Orto Botanico 15, I-35123, Padova, Italy

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Research Interests: species diversity, invasive species, conservation biology, biodiversity, ecology, ecosystem ecology, plant ecology, conservation, natural resource management, biodiversity monitoring

Summary

The increasing spread of Invasive Alien Plant Species (IAPS) poses a significant threat to global biodiversity and ecosystem services. These species often disrupt ecological equilibriums of native ecosystems altering species composition and habitat structure. While invasion management alone contributes little to the natural recovery of native community diversity, ecosystem restoration has emerged as a central strategy in achieving international targets, including the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and the recent EU Nature Restoration Regulation. In this framework, to recover degraded ecosystems invaded by alien species and enhance their resilience in the face of climate change and other anthropogenic pressures is pivotal.

This Special Issue seeks to bring together cutting-edge research and applied perspectives addressing the complex interactions between invasive alien species and restoration efforts. We welcome contributions that advance our understanding of IAPS impacts, evaluate innovative management practices, and explore integrated approaches to restoration that consider bio-ecological dimensions.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

· Ecological and functional impacts of IAPS on different ecosystems.

· Bioecological and physiological responses of native plants to invasive species competition, including possible pathways underlying invasive plant adaptability.

· Case studies of restoration initiatives challenged or shaped by IAPS presence.

· Development and assessment of prevention, eradication, and control strategies.

By gathering diverse perspectives, this Special Issue aims to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and provide evidence-based recommendations to guide practitioners, policymakers, and researchers. We particularly encourage contributions that highlight applied solutions, cross-scale approaches, and collaborations bridging science, management, and society.

Researchers are invited to submit abstracts outlining their proposed contributions. Selected authors will be invited to submit full papers for peer review. 

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