Kew Gardens in London was at the centre of a huge colonial plant trade.
'The world's metropolis', Thomas Hosmer Shepherd, 1855
Scientists have found more ‘alien species’ today in regions that were once key parts of European empires.
A museum specimen of the extinct northern pig-footed bandicoot.
Vassil/Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle via Wikimedia
38 mammals have been driven to extinction since colonisation, and many more are close to joining them. We have the solutions at hand, but warnings continue to be met with mediocre responses.
Ballast water discharge from transoceanic ships introduces invasive species to the Great Lakes.
(Shutterstock)
Ballast water release from ocean vessels has been a major source of invasive species in the Great Lakes for over 60 years.
Invasive alien species are a growing concern for both the environment and economy.
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New research has found that since the mid-1980s, the economic impact of invasive reptiles and amphibians totals more than US$17 billion.
Mediterranean coral reefs support diverse ecosystems, their loss would be catastrophic.
Damsea/Shutterstock
While official data is yet to be released, this year’s Mediterranean marine heatwave will likely have devastating ecological consequences.
The Anopheles stephensi is usually found in South-East Asia.
Jim Gathany
The spread of this urban malaria vector species threatens the gains made against malaria and the achievement of malaria elimination.
AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati
Indonesia’s foot-and-mouth outbreak shouldn’t come as a surprise. It’s been decades in the making – just the latest consequence of biosecurity shortcomings in the region.
The round goby is an invasive fish that has become established in the St. Lawrence River over the past two decades, following its introduction into the Great Lakes.
(Cristina Charette)
Wetlands can help limit the spread of the voracious round goby, an invasive species that has infiltrated the Great Lakes and has become widespread in the St. Lawrence River.
A boat propeller encrusted with zebra mussels.
NPS/Flickr
Zebra and quagga mussels entered the Great Lakes in large ships’ ballast water. Now, local boaters and anglers are spreading them into the southern and western US.
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The simulation showed catching cane toads once a week involved 85% less cost and effort than other strategies, but was just as effective.
Trees bloom on a balmy spring day in Paris.
Alain Jocard/AFP
Trees were already known for cooling and cleaning the air of cities. A Europe-wide, participative science project shows how much their density matters for urban biodiversity.
Pine martens are returning to Irish and British woodlands.
Joshua P Twining
Once hated, native predators are now credited with limiting invasive prey populations.
The brown mussel has retracted its range in South Africa due to decreasing seawater temperatures.
Olga Ernst/ Wikimedia Commons
A changing climate will make it difficult to anticipate and prevent invasions.
Dipolydora capensis is an indigenous polychaete that is a found on farmed and wild abalone, but it is not a serious pest.
Carol Simon
Correctly identifying species is essential for effective management and conservation.
eric laudonien / shutterstock
An invasive Australian tree is exploiting ever-stronger hurricanes.
In Canada, purple loosestrife is an invasive species.
(Shutterstock)
Evolution by natural selection is a potent agent of change, allowing species to adapt to new and changing environments. But is it sustainable?
Sanddebeautheil/Shutterstock
Potting soils are helping plant seeds travel. Is it benign or harmful?
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The UK wants gardeners to stop thinking of slugs and snails as pests and to embrace garden biodiversity. Is it worth considering in Australia?
Alien trees threaten biodiversity, increase the risk of wildfires and also guzzle water.
Photo courtesy Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve
Clearing alien trees from mountain catchments is a more cost-effective approach to providing water than building and maintaining desalination plants.
Killer on the loose.
Alex Walker via Getty Images
A new study shows that when free-ranging cats are more than a few blocks from forested areas in cities, such as parks, they’re more likely to prey on rats than on native wildlife.