Invasive species may continue to spread in North America, Australia and Europe

A new study by Henry Hakkinen, Dave Hodgson and Regan Earley from the University of Exeter shows that non-native, naturalized species that colonize new locations can spread further into suitable habitat in many parts of the world. It is reported that there is a possibility. , UK, published in an open access journal PLOS Biology.

Understanding and predicting where introduced species will spread is one of the key conservation and ecological challenges of the 21st century. However, little is known about what causes some species to spread rapidly while others remain in small, isolated populations for years.

In the study, Hakkinen’s team predicted which areas of the world’s land areas 833 species of naturalized plants, birds, and mammals are most likely to colonize, and which factors have so far influenced their spread. We investigated whether it accelerated or decelerated.

The researchers found that there is significant potential for further dispersal of naturalized birds in North America, mammals in Eastern Europe, and plants in North America, Eastern Europe, and Australia. Furthermore, a species’ introduction history, its dispersal ability, and suitable regional location are more important predictors of how a species spreads than its preferred habitat or interactions with other local residents. It is an element.

The researchers found that nearly all the species described in the new paper have had enough time to invade, but have not yet expanded to all regions with suitable climates. However, depending on the introduced species, this may not become a problem until after an initial lag period. Although many of the species studied have modest impacts on the environment, these findings remain alarming. A region can experience an “invasion meltdown” when multiple introduced species amplify their impact and ability to establish, sometimes with devastating effects.

The authors added: “It is worrying that so many naturalized species appear poised to spread further, as species invasions can destroy biodiversity, agriculture and livelihoods. However, it is worrying that so many naturalized species appear poised to spread further. , there is also a glimmer of hope that the invasion will be much more limited than expected, and the ecosystem could be that way, he added. It’s deterring the invaders better than we expected, and proper management could help stop the spread. ”