Date: June 19, 2019
Source: University College London
Published
today in Nature, researchers show that alien bird introductions are
most successful in locations and climates similar to their native habitats and
in places where other alien species are already established.
The
discovery is important for understanding the processes that help or hinder
species moving between locations, and the next steps for predicting and
limiting the threat of future biological invasions.
As human
activity continues to reshape the world, alien species are becoming more of a
problem through their negative impacts, including agricultural damage, the
spread of disease and expensive damage to infrastructure.
They are
also impacting on native species with an estimated third of animal extinctions
worldwide and a quarter of plant extinctions since 1500 thought to be driven in
part by alien species.
"We
know alien species are the main driver of recent extinctions in both animals
and plants so there is a clear and urgent need for better biosecurity measures
to prevent or mitigate the impact of future invasions and protect endangered
native species," explained first author Dr David Redding (UCL Genetics,
Evolution & Environment).
"With
increased global trade, more species are being transported around the world
either purposefully or as stowaways, which creates more opportunities for alien
species to establish themselves in new habitats."
The team
from UCL, ZSL, University of Utah, KoƧ University and the University of
Queensland, used birds as a model system for other wildlife. They analysed
4,346 global invasion events spanning 708 species to see which factors enabled
the birds to thrive in their new habitat.
