International research team reports worrying trends
A new study has found that there is an enormous potential for future waves of invasive species on land and in water.
Invasive species are one of the greatest threats to biodiversity globally. They are the main cause of the extinction of vertebrates in the last century, with an estimated cost of at least $162 billion a year.
Although only one per cent of known species have invaded new habitats, the magnitude of environmental and socioeconomic impacts is likely to rise substantially in the coming decades. This is due to a rise in trade and transport, connecting distant countries and their unique species.
Diverse source of invasive species
The research has been published in Global Ecology and Biogeography, led by an international research team, including Queen’s University Belfast. The team found that greater numbers of non-native species tend to come from more diverse species groups. However, some groups have been excessively introduced, including mammals, birds, fishes, insects, spiders, and plants. Understudied groups – such as microorganisms – are likely vastly underestimated.
The most reported introduced non-native species tend to be intentionally introduced by humans for agriculture, horticulture and forestry, such as cane toads, knotweeds and pine trees.
The study found that most reporting of biological invasions has occurred on land rather than aquatic habitats. Greater research efforts are likely to reveal substantial numbers of new non-native species in freshwater and ocean habitats.
‘invasions can cause extinctions’
Dr Ross Cuthbert was a co-author of the study and researcher from the School of Biological Sciences at Queen’s University Belfast. He said: “Biological invasions can cause extinctions, cost trillions of dollars in damage and control, and spread diseases. Their impacts are rising rapidly, making large-scale understandings and predictions of invasion patterns crucial to protect environments, economies, and societies.
“Management efforts are urgently needed to prevent future introductions and to control the most damaging invaders already established.”
For more details on the paper, visit onlinelibrary.wiley.com.
