Neophytes

One third of all plant species occurring in Austria are neophytes. The Thayatal National Park contains 116 of the approximately 1,300 domestic plant species. This sounds alarming, but horse chestnuts, lupins or crops such as potatoes, maize and tomatoes are also among these "new plants”. Neophytes are all those plants that were introduced after the discovery of America in 1492.

Most newcomers live in peaceful coexistence with the native plants. Very few of them become conspicuous, i.e. invasive. Out of 100 species, usually only two or three break ranks, spread massively, endanger the established flora and, as a result, the associated ecosystem as well.
In the Thayatal National Park, four neophytes are currently on the "watch list”: black locust, Indian knapweed, Japanese knotweed and Russian hogweed. These are not only monitored, but also targeted by various methods. To do this, nature workers go out and about on foot or, in places that are difficult to access, by boat. They dig up plants by hand before the seeds are ripe or mow entire stands and, as in the case of the black locust, make invasive trees "capitulate” by stripping the bark.
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