New protocols to assess the environmental impact of pests in the EPPO decision‐support scheme for pest risk analysis*

Abstract

Assessing the potential environmental impact of alien plants and plant pests is notoriously difficult. New protocols have been developed in the framework of the EC project PRATIQUE to provide guidance on environmental impact assessment in the EPPO pest risk analysis (PRA) decisionsupport scheme and enhance consistency between risk assessors and risk ratings for different pests. A set of questions with rating guidance and examples is provided, and individual scores are summarized into final scores, using a hierarchy of risk matrices, to assess current and potential environmental impacts. Two separate protocols are available: for alien plants and for other pests. These protocols could also be used to assess environmental impact in other PRA schemes as well as to assign alien species to regional black lists or to prioritize species for management decisions.

Beyond protocols: improving the reliability of expert-based risk analysis underpinning invasive species policies

“…To do this, a wealth of qualitative and semi-quantitative protocols have emerged in recent years (e.g. Baker et al 2008;Blackburn et al 2014;Bomford 2008;D'hondt et al 2015;Essl et al 2011; EFSA Panel on Plant Health 2011; Kenis et al 2012;Nentwig et al 2010;Sandvik et al 2013). These schemes range from classification systems to more elaborate scoring systems and are widely used in IAS management.…”

Environmental risk assessment for plant pests: A procedure to evaluate their impacts on ecosystem services

“…Several PRA procedures in line with IPPC standards that include the evaluation and prediction of environmental impact are available (e.g. USDA, 2012;Biosecurity New Zealand, 2006;Biosecurity Australia, 2007;EPPO, 2011;Kenis et al, 2012). However, no standardized methods are available to generate consistent, comparable and reproducible results.…”

“…However, the methods that are appropriate for environmental risk assessments are not indicated. Though the EPPO PRA scheme (EPPO, 2011), through the revision described by Kenis et al (2012), now provides a set of detailed questions with explanatory notes for undertaking a qualitative assessment of environmental impacts, it does not provide an assessment based on ecosystem services since it is considered that many of these are directly related to social and economic impacts that are covered by other questions in the EPPO PRA scheme.…”

“…With this method, both the risks posed to the structural and to the functional aspects of ecosystems can be assessed. A method for assessing the effects of IAS on structural biodiversity has recently been proposed by Kenis et al (2012). Here we concentrate on a method for assessing impacts on the functional aspects of ecosystems.…”

Scientific Opinion on the pest categorisation ofPaysandisia archon(Burmeister)

“…Phoenix canariensis is not considered native in the risk assessment area since it originates from the Canary Islands, which is outside the scope of this opinion (section 1.2). While attacks on C. humilis have been observed in Europe, it is not yet known whether this pest can affect P. theophrasti (Kenis et al, 2012). …”