List of top alien species invaders on islands

Tue Jun 13 2017 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

List of top alien species invaders on islands

13 June 2017

Island in the Seychelles

Researchers have listed the top 15 alien species invaders most commonly found on islands around the world and their impacts on native flora and fauna.

Using data from the Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species, the scientists documented over 2,000 invasive species, but showed that most of these are only found on a few islands, while only a few were globally widespread. The study included 33 island nations.

Invasive plants make up the majority of the top fifteen list of the most prevalent invasive species on islands although rodents, ants and mosquitos also featured prominently.

The study, led by Senior Lecturer James Russell of the University of Auckland’s School of Biological Sciences, provides the first synthesis of the impacts and distribution of the many invasive species found on islands globally.

“Islands such as New Zealand have long been known to be vulnerable to the impact of invasive species introduced to them, the classic example being the introduction of mammalian predators driving many bird species to extinction,” he says.

“However, although every island in the world fights its own battles against invasive species, this study provides a global overview of trends in the impact and distribution of invasive species across all islands for the first time.”

The researchers investigated the interactions of these invasive species with other global change stressors such as agricultural intensification, urbanisation and climate change.

However, they end optimistically by concluding with a summary of the current status of invasive species management on islands, focusing on when it may be possible to eradicate some invasive species, such as New Zealand’s ambitious Predator Free 2050 campaign.

Study co-author Dr Nick Holmes from the Island Conservation NGO says invasive species are a key threat to plant, animal and human communities dependent on islands.

“But there is hope. There are many examples of invasive species prevention, control and eradication leading to positive conservation outcomes. We should strive to replicate these successes, and improve our knowledge of how to tackle bigger challenges on islands across the globe.”

Read the paper from Cambridge University Press: Invasive alien species on islands: impacts, distribution, interactions and management

For more information contact:

Anne Beston
Media Adviser, Faculty of Science
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Email**: a.beston@auckland.ac.nz Tel: 09 923 3258 Mob: 0221 970 089