Invasive Species
Non-native species
There are many plant and animal species not native to the UK which have found their way here and pose no risk to human health or wildlife. However there are certain non-native species where an increase in their number does, or is likely to, cause economic or environmental harm. In the Broads, damage to wildlife and its surroundings is very likely from plants and animals which can drastically change natural habitats, making them unsuitable for our local species or even displacing them entirely.
The Broads Authority monitors known sites and actively looks for fresh infestations of such problematic species across the Broads.
You can help too by contacting us to report sightings of these or other non-native organisms.
For example
- Invasive plant species such Japanese knotweed, Himalayan balsam and giant hogweed can dominate riverbanks and exclude native plants.
- Water plants such as floating pennywort, water fern and parrot's feather can choke drains and rivers, posing navigation, nature conservation and flood management problems.
- Predatory mammals such as the American mink pose a significant threat to our water vole population in the Broads.
- American signal crayfish carry a plague deadly to the native and already threatened white-clawed crayfish.
- Exotic molluscs such as the zebra mussel and the Asiatic clam can block water intakes (either for industrial usage or for boat engines) and can have negative impacts on native mussel populations.
Please visit these sites for fact files, pictures and information about non-native species and introduced species and guidance on control (pdf document) [1196kb].
The Norfolk Wildlife Trust is also launching a Norfolk non-native species survey. (word document) [27kb]
