Ecological Risk Screening Summary - Broadleaf Pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium) - High Risk

Species that are considered high risk have a well-documented history of invasiveness in at least one location globally, and a high or medium climate match to the contiguous United States.

Broadleaf pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium) is an herbaceous perennial plant native to Mediterranean areas of Southeast Europe, North Africa and Southwest Asia, but has been spread to and become established in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Bolivia, Argentina, most of western and northern Europe, and from western Asia into China and Japan. It is also established in Australia and the Canary Islands. This species is believed to have been introduced through contaminated plant shipments, and possibly other vectors including ballast and storm water. It also has a long history of human use as medicine and a food source which may have contributed to its spread. Secondary spread can be easily achieved through vegetative reproduction from plant fragments. When introduced, impacts are widely reported and include altered trophic level, ecosystem change, habitat alteration, modification of nutrient regime, modification of successional patterns, monoculture formation, negative impacts to agriculture, and reduced native biodiversity. L. latifolium is potentially a threat to endangered species. Human impacts are realized through effects on agricultural lands including contamination of hay field and loss of forage land for livestock. L. latifolium is regulated in multiple States. The history of invasiveness for L. latifolium is classified as High. L. latifolium is regulated in multiple States. The climate match was high across much of the United States, except areas of the Gulf Coast and coastal Pacific Northwest. Due to the abundance of information, but lack of impact information from peer-review sources, the certainty of the assessment is medium. The overall risk assessment category is High.