Home » Soil Transport Cluster (IAS)
Many invasive alien plant species can cause structural damage to buildings through the expansion of their root and rhizome networks. The complete eradication of these species is extremely difficult and may require the removal and disposal of large quantities of soil in the affected area.
The disposal or treatment of such soil requires rigorous (and costly) management to ensure complete eradication of the invasive alien species. The presence of some invasive alien species can also have devastating impacts on biodiversity.
As examples, the flatworm Arthurdendyus triangulatus, can cause catastrophic loss of earthworms which are important to the healthy functioning of soil ecosystems and Phytophthora ramorum, a disease, can cause dieback of foliage and results in the death of oak trees and several other tree species.
The objective of the soil transport platform is to foster a constructive dialogue within and among stakeholder organisations and competent authorities involved in the cluster of pathways (both on “impacting” and “impact” sides) and to develop joint initiatives to address the problem.
The platform is not intended to act as a European Commission “Expert Group” or a similar entity with consultative functions but instead aim to exchange good practice between one another and come up with new ways to deal with IAS.
The team’s role is an advisory neutral third party in support of all the other parties. The solutions will have to be discussed and agreed between the stakeholders. The project team will facilitate this dialogue and provide input from experts on IAS as desired by the participating platform members.