Invasive Alien Species Impatiens glandulifera Royle – Spread Dynamics, Environmental Impacts and Youth Perception of the Problem

Abstract

Invasive species have become an urgent problem in many parts of the world, affecting regional biodiversity, environmental health. The presence and expansion of invasive plant species in Europe were also mentioned in earlier centuries, not only nowadays. The plant species Impatiens glandulifera Royle was observed in Przedecz Lake (central Poland) riparian zone vegetation in the 1990s. The source of the species in the studied area was its cultivation in surrounding gardens (human vector). Data on Himalayan balsam were collected during studies undertaken in the years 1998, 1999, 2002 and 2005. The rate of spread of the species was astonishing in the studied test field located in the riparian zone of Przedecz Lake. A questionnaire for students was prepared to test their knowledge of invasive plants and to reveal their attitude to this environmental problem. In the studied group of young persons between 20 and 25 years of age, as many as 46% accepted the idea of planting of invasive species in private gardens.