Potential spread of Ailanthus altissima in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve

Mihai Doroftei, Marian Mierlă, Danube Delta National Institute, Tulcea
Gheorghe Kucsicsa, Ines Grigorescu, Monica Dumitraşcu, Institute of Geography, Romanian Academy, Bucharest

The enhanced spread of terrestrial plant species (ITPS) had become an important environmental threat to indigenous ecosystems especially when it comes to natural protected areas. The paper is aiming to identify and analyze the key environmental driving forces responsible for the introduction and spread of one of the most aggressive ITPS (Ailanthus altissima) in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve (II IUCN category and Natura 2000 site), considered the second largest and best preserved deltas in Europe.
Taking into consideration the conservation value of this unique and relatively wild ecosystem of European significance, the paper have as main purpose to make a complex assessment of Ailanthus altissima, an ITPS which is affecting the ecological balance of the study-area. Therefore, after completing the GIS-based inventory of this invasive plant specie, the authors were able to draw up the distribution maps and identify the main particular environmental features of its habitat. Ultimately, based on this complex assessment, a conceptual model - invasive terrestrial plant species potential distribution model (ITPS-podismod) was developed in order to identify the areas the most exposed to this ITPS.
The model will have a significant importance for the potential users (foresters, environmentalists etc.) for the prediction of the potential distribution and extent of Ailanthus in order put forward necessary management strategies for control.

Keywords: potential distribution model (ITPS-podismod), Ailanthus altissima, Danube Delta, environmental driving forces, protected area.