In the course of globalization, more and more plant and animal species settle outside their natural area of origin and dispersal. Some of them put native species under pressure within their natural habitats and thus endanger regional or local biodiversity. In this case, they are considered to be invasive. Existing legislation has regulated the handling of invasive species in the Federal Nature Conservation Act.

Particularly along rivers, some invasive species can spread rapidly and over long stretches. In case of construction or restoration measures being carried out, there is a big danger of spreading seeds or root parts of invasive species even more.

In the LiLa-LIFE project, a concept for dealing with invasive plant species is tested in the catchment areas of the rivers Perf and Kerkerbach, monitoring as well ongoing construction measures at both water bodies. After recording (mapping) the invasive plants, selected local occurrences are combated for several years and the development will be monitored accordingly.

The aim is to elaborate a guide to reduce the further spreading of invasive species along rivers.