Il rischio di invasività di specie vegetali non-native introdotte negli agroecosistemi Mediterranei come colture eneregtiche. Un caso di studio in Sardegna (Potential risk of non-native bioenergy crops introduced in Mediterranean agroecosystems. A case study in Sardinia)

This work examines the case study of a thistle under consideration as a bioenergy crop in Sardinia (Italy). The planned plant should be able to burn 250,000 t/y of biomass and to produce 135 MWth in a year. Biomass is expected to be obtained from the thistle crop, Cynara cardunculus var. altilis, cultivated on 40,000 hectares. Cynara cardunculus var. altilis is a non-native species in Sardinia and its cultivation raises concerns about its invasiveness and its impact risk on the natural and agricultural ecosystems. Additional issues regarding Cynara cardunculus cultivation involve: land availability; its impact on surrounding crops; its integration with local production systems; the feasibility of crop rotation and, finally, the substantial and potentially irreversible change of the natural crop habitat, particularly in areas subject to environmental protection by European and/or National laws. The potential invasiveness is investigated using Pest Risk Analysis and climatic modelling.