Acer negundo L. Taxonomic position - Izbis

EPPO Training, Belgrade 8. – 11. July 2013
EPPO Prioritisation Process for Acer negundo L.
for North Part of Serbia (Vojvodina)
Vera Batanjski 1 , Bojana Bokić 2 , Vesna Hlavati Širka 1 , Milica
Radanović 2
1
University of Belgrade, Faculty of Biology, Institut e of Botany and Botanical
Garden “Jevremovac”, 11000 Beograd, Srbija, vera.batanjski@gmail.com
2
University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sciences,, Department of Biology and
Ecology

Acer negundo L.
Taxonomic position: Aceraceae
Synonyms: Negundo aceroides Moench (1794), Negundo
fraxinifolium (Nutt.) DC. (1824).
Common names (EN): boxelder, maple ash

A.1 - Is the plant species known to be alien in all, or a significant
part, of the area under assessment?
• Yes
Acer negundo is native to North America.

A.2 - Is the plant species established in at least a part of the area
under assessment?
• Yes
The species has been observed in the area under
assessment (protected areas, watershores along the
rivers and banks, sand dunes, salt marshes etc.)
Panjkovic et al. (2005), unpublished data.
Introduced in Europe in XVII century as garden plant.

A.5 - How high is the spread potential of the plant in the area
under assessment?
• High
Level of uncertainty: low
Dispersed by wind or by birds and squirrels. Boxelder
establishes by seed under a wide range of conditions
(Udvardy, 2008).
Given that box-elder seeds are able to survive in water for
at least 6 weeks and to germinate before touching the
ground (Mędrzycki, 2011 author's unpublished data),
that mode of dispersal may be a long-distance one.
Plant can produce approximately 30 000 seeds.

A.6 - How high is the potential negative impact of the plant on
native species, habitats and ecosystems in the area under
assessment?
• High
Level of uncertainty: low
Specific impact is its permanent vegetative regrowth that
leads to domination in the flood-plain forests.
Dominates the lower tree canopy layer and almost totally
stops regeneration of poplars and willows (Künstler
1999).

A.7 - How high is the potential negative impact of the plant on
agriculture, horticulture or forestry in the area under
assessment?
• Medium
Level of uncertainty: low
Appearing on different semi-natural habitats can be
mentioned as its most important economic damage, as
the main propagator of fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea
Drury 1773) causing serious damages in horticultural
crops (Udvardy, 2008).

A.8 - How high are the potential additional impacts (e.g. on
animal and human health, on infrastructures, on recreational
activities, other trade related impacts such as market losses)?
• Medium
Level of uncertainty: medium
Positive impact: Riparian boxelder communities provide
important habitat for many wildlife species and protect
livestock from temperature extremes in summer and
winter. Many species of birds and squirrels feed on the
seeds of boxelder.
Negative impact: This tree may be poisonous to livestock. It
has an allelopathic effect because it produces
terpenoids, triterpene saponins and alkaloids (Udvardy,
2008).

Outcome of the first part:
List of invasive alien plants

B.1 - Is the plant species internationally traded or are there other
existing or potential international pathways?
• Yes
In the first half of the twentieth century it became one of the
most commonly planted alien tree species (Medrzycki,
2011 ) and it is still traded for ornamental purposes
today.

B.2 - Is the risk of introduction by these international pathways
identified to be superior to natural spread?
No
The risk of introduction by international pathways is lower
than natural spreading in the observed area, because
American boxelder is replacing white willow (Salix alba)
riparian forests along southern European rivers
(Bottollier-Curtet, M. et al., 2012)

Outcome of the second part:
This plant is not a priority for PRA
Recommendations for management at a national level
through National Regulatory Control Systems (PM9) may
be developed.

Conclusion
• Acer negundo is on preliminary list of invasive alien
species in Serbia (IASV http://iasv.dbe.pmf.uns.ac.rs/,
Lazarević et al., 2012)
• It degrades natural protected areas, and must be
stopped.

References:
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Hungarica 50(Suppl), pp. 219–227, 2008
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• IASV http://iasv.dbe.pmf.uns.ac.rs/
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području Srbije. Acta Herbologica, 13 (1): 1-12.
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