Resumen de Distribution of Elodea nuttallii, an invasive alien species of EU concern, in Bulgaria
Valeri Georgiev, Sonya Tsoneva, Lyubomir Kenderov, Teodora A. Trichkova, Milcho Todorov, Vladimir Vladimirov
Elodea nuttallii (Hydrocharitaceae) is an aquatic plant, native to North America. In Bulgaria, the species was recorded as a naturalised alien relatively recently – in 2002. Since then, the number of the recorded localities has increased rapidly. In Europe, the species has been considered to have high ecological impact in the invaded areas, and therefore, it is included in the List of invasive alien species of EU concern under Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 October 2014 on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species. Article 24(1) of the same Regulation obliges the EU Member States to report by 1st June 2019, and every six years thereafter, the distribution of the invasive alien species of Union or regional concern.
Therefore, the reporting of all known localities of Elodea nuttallii in Bulgaria is urgently needed. The article presents the currently known distribution of the species, including a UTM-distribution map, and provides some comments about the information gaps in the chorological information which are relevant to the control of the invasion of this species in Bulgaria.
