Invasive non-native species

Invasive non-native species of flora and fauna are considered to be a major threat to fragile ecosystems Because of the increase in the global movement of people and goods, they pose a growing problem in the conservation of biodiversity, and are a threat to economic interests such as agriculture, forestry and fisheries.

Invasive plant species are a serious environmental problem in Torfaen and Japanese Knotweed in particular displaces natural flora, degrading biodiversity and can cause serious structural damage to property. Because invasive plants have few animals that feed upon them, they can out-compete native flora but provide little or no food for native fauna.

Factors Causing the Spread non-native plants

• New introductions arriving as stowaways on boots, cars and traded goods
• Sale as ornamental plants in garden centres and / or deliberate planting in gardens
• Lack of specific natural enemies such as herbivorous animals and pathogens
• Dispersal by watercourses
• Movement of contaminated soil and fly tipping. Machines transporting even small fragments of an invasive plant may be sufficient to contaminate new sites - Japanese knotweed is capable of regeneration from tiny fragments of the parent plant

Please follow this link for guidance relating to the following species:

• Japanese Knotweed
• Giant Hogweed
• Common Ragwort
• Variegated Archangel
• Cotoneaster
• Bracken

Schedule 14 Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended)

The purpose of Section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 is to prevent the release into the wild of certain plants and animals which may cause ecological, environmental or socio-economic harm.

Schedule 9 lists non-native species that are already established in the wild, but continue to pose a conservation threat to native biodiversity and habitats, such that further releases should be regulated.

The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (variation of schedule 9) England and Wales Order 2010 has added a number of plants species to the schedule 9 list making it an offence to introduce them into the wild. Those species added that occur within or near to Torfaen include the following species:

• Variegated Yellow Archangel
• Himalayan Balsam
• Various species of Cotoneaster
• Water Fern
• Montbretia
• Water Lettuce
• Floating Pennywort
• Rhodedendron
• Curly Waterweed