In Barents IAS we focus on a few invasive alien species which have caused or there’s a risk that they will cause inconvenience in the Barents Region in Finland, Sweden and Finland. Below you can read about Nootka and garden lupin, pink salmon, and hogweeds.
Nootka lupin survives better than the garden lupin in northern climate. It has spread aggressively in Norway, and there’s a risk that it might spread to much larger areas in Finland and Sweden, where it is not yet as common as in Norway. It is a threat, for example, for the nature in the fells.
The garden lupin is widely spread in Finland, Sweden, and Norway in roadsides, courtyards and meadows. It has the ability of decreasing the nitrogen concentration of the soil which supplants our already endangered meadow flora.
The alien hogweeds are widely spread, they are competitive and resistant to northern conditions. At favorable growing places they form wide dense stands, “hogweed forests” which stifle under all the rest of the vegetation. All three alien hogweed species can be dangerous to humans since the plant’s juice cause skin photosensitivity and burns.
Himalayan balsam forms large groups that displace native vegetation. It also threatens declining and threatened species because it is also found in nature reserves and in the vicinity of threatened species. Himalayan balsam can also decrease the number of invertebrates, both in and on the ground.
The amounts of the pink salmon have increased explosively during the last years. In river Tana the number of individuals have grown in a few years from a few hundred individuals to an estimated 50,000 individuals in summer 2021. It is estimated that the amount of pink salmons will be even higher in summer 2023, even half a million individuals.