Alien Vascular Flora in Mediterranean Terrestrial Landscapes of Greece

During the last decade, a new field in modern ecology has emerged, raising concern among the European parties. High rates of alien species were observed in both marine and terrestrial ecosystems in Greece, and many have gradually been beyond their point entry at an alarming rate. The present study focuses on giving an insight into the academic literature concerning the alien vascular plant diversity and illustrating the present-day situation regarding their management in Greece. The structured review is based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria which partly followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The results indicated Greece's study of the alien vascular flora started in the early 1970s. Among the Greek regions with sufficient knowledge of the alien flora are Attica, Crete, the urban areas of Thessaloniki and Patras, and some Aegean Islands. These studies show Solanum elaeagnifolium Cav. and Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle seem to be dominant and in large numbers. Furthermore, many networks are currently in operation monitoring and recording alien species. To protect the biodiversity of each country member and ensure a less costly strategy, European Union enacted EU Regulation 1143/2014. In Greece, although compliance with the regulation, the strategy for managing invasive species is still in its infancy. In conclusion, there is still plenty of space for further elaboration of local and regional complex management regimes to be designed carefully and implemented promptly for biodiversity protection.