International team of scientists warns of increasing threats posed by
invasive species

Date:
June 26, 2020
Source:
University of Rhode Island
Summary:
A new study describes the proliferation of alien invasive species
and the dangers they pose.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
In a new study, scientists from around the world -- including a professor
at the University of Rhode Island -- warn that the threats posed by
invasive alien species are increasing. They say that urgent action
is required to prevent, detect and control invaders at both local and
global levels.


========================================================================== Alien species are plants, animals and microbes that are introduced by
people, accidentally or intentionally, into areas where they do not
naturally occur.

Many of them thrive, spreading widely with harmful effects on the
environment, economy, or human health.

The study, published in the journal Biological Reviews, was carried
out by a team of researchers from 13 countries across Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, and North and South America. It states that the
number of invasive alien species is increasing rapidly, with more than
18,000 currently listed around the world.

According to Laura Meyerson, URI associate professor of natural resources science, the escalation in biological invasions is due to the increase
in the number and variety of pathways along which species spread, and
to the increasing volume of traffic associated with those pathways. For example, she notes the role played by emerging pathways such as the
online trade in unusual pets and the transport of species across oceans
on rafts of plastic.

The researchers note that the scale of the problem is enormous. A 2017
analysis of global extinctions revealed that alien species contributed
to 25 percent of plant extinctions and 33 percent of terrestrial and
freshwater animal extinctions. Meanwhile, annual environmental losses
caused by introduced species in the United States, United Kingdom,
Australia, South Africa, India and Brazil have been calculated at more
than $100 billion.

The study also shows how drivers of global change, such as climate change, land-use change, and international trade, are exacerbating the impacts
of biological invasions. Species transported through shipping can now
thrive in new regions, for instance, owing to climate warming. And the permanent opening of the Arctic Ocean due to global warming is allowing
marine species to move between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

The research paper is part of an initiative called World Scientists'
Warning to Humanity: A Second Notice, which calls for urgent change
in stewardship of the Earth and the life on it. The first notice,
in 1992, was supported by 1,700 eminent scientists from around the
globe who warned that humanity was on a collision course with the rest
of the natural world. Twenty-five years later, a follow-up evaluation
supported by 15,000 scientists declared that humanity had failed to make sufficient progress in dealing with the environmental challenges. Indeed,
they found that most of these problems had worsened.

The authors of the new paper stress that biological invasions can be
managed and mitigated. They point to approaches that are working around
the world and make specific recommendations for improved management. For example, the introduction of more stringent border controls, including
X-ray machines and detector dogs, has led to a progressive decline in
the rate of fungal plant pathogens entering New Zealand.

Professor Petr Pysek of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Charles
University in Prague, lead author of the study, said: "As our knowledge
about invasive alien species increases, the problems associated with
biological invasions are becoming clearer. The threats posed by invasive
alien species to our environment, our economies and our health are very serious, and getting worse.

Policy makers and the public need to prioritize actions to stem invasions
and their impacts." Professor David Richardson of the Centre for
Invasion Biology at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, the other
lead author, added: "Nations such as Australia and New Zealand have made biosecurity a national priority. South Africa has invested heavily in a
massive national programme focussed on reducing the negative impacts of widespread invaders on ecosystem services, especially the delivery of
water from catchments invaded by alien trees. But action is needed more
widely at both national and international levels in order to tackle the challenges effectively." Meyerson, who contributed to the paper and is
leading the chapter on trends in invasions for a report on invasive alien species for the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity
and Ecosystem Services, said, "It has been so exciting to see developments
in our knowledge and understanding of biological invasions in recent
decades, achieved through truly inspiring global collaborations. It is
so important that we continue to share our knowledge and engage with
relevant stakeholders across sectors and borders."

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Rhode_Island. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Petr Pysek, Philip E. Hulme, Dan Simberloff, Sven Bacher, Tim M.

Blackburn, James T. Carlton, Wayne Dawson, Franz Essl, Llewellyn C.

Foxcroft, Piero Genovesi, Jonathan M. Jeschke, Ingolf Ku"hn,
Andrew M.

Liebhold, Nicholas E. Mandrak, Laura A. Meyerson, Ani'bal Pauchard,
Jan Pergl, Helen E. Roy, Hanno Seebens, Mark Kleunen, Montserrat
Vila`, Michael J. Wingfield, David M. Richardson. Scientists'
warning on invasive alien species. Biological Reviews, 2020; DOI:
10.1111/brv.12627 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200626161205.htm

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