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Britain is home to 2,000 invasive species, including the gray squirrel, which pose a threat to our native wildlife, experts have warned.
A major report released today reveals the extent to which “alien” species have spread across the planet, wreaking havoc on nature and even human health.
Thousands of these plants, animals and other organisms can be found in Britain, having been introduced by human activity.
They include gray squirrels, Asian hornets, and rhododendrons, which can be devastating to our native species.
The report, which is the first global analysis on invasive alien species and their control, was compiled by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).
Britain is home to 2,000 invasive species, including the gray squirrel, which pose a threat to our native wildlife, experts have warned. In the photo: giant hogweed
It reveals that there are more than 37,000 alien species that have been introduced by human activities in regions around the world, at a global economic cost of £336 billion in 2019.
Of these, 3,500 are “invasive”, with known negative impacts on nature and people.
More than 200 new alien species are recorded each year, and they have been a major factor in 60 percent of global animal and plant extinctions.
Professor Helen Roy, an ecologist at the UK Center for Ecology and Hydrology and co-chair of the report, said one of the best-known biological invasions in the UK is that of the gray squirrel.
They were first introduced to England from North America in 1876 as an ornamental species to populate stately home grounds.
It wasn’t until the 1930s that the damage caused by the species was recognized: they outnumber our native red squirrels for food and habitat and carry a lethal virus that can be deadly to red squirrel populations.
They are also devastating to UK timber, costing the industry around £14m a year.
“But there are other examples as well,” Professor Roy said. “In the UK, minks are causing problems for native water voles and driving their numbers to really low levels.
“Rhododendron, which is so prolific in the understory of many woodlands across the UK, is absolutely a reservoir of fungal tree diseases.
Professor Helen Roy, an ecologist at the UK Center for Ecology and Hydrology and co-chair of the report, said one of the best-known biological invasions in the UK is that of the gray squirrel.
There has been an increase in sightings of the Asian hornet in recent years, with concerns that it is a major predator of our native bees.
“Killer shrimp are also causing a lot of problems in our freshwater systems.”
In recent years there has been an increase in sightings of the Asian hornet, out of concern that it is a major predator of our native bees.
Experts are also concerned about harlequin ladybugs, an aggressive predator with huge appetites that could threaten our native ladybug species by competing with them for food.
Meanwhile, the giant hogweed is an exotic species that can affect human health, occasionally causing unsightly blistering on the skin of those who come in contact with it.
Of the 2,000 alien species in Britain, between 12 and 14 percent are known to cause problems for biodiversity and ecosystems, Professor Roy added.
The oak processionary moth, which was accidentally introduced to London on imported trees in 2006, can be devastating to oak trees.
They also release a toxic protein that causes skin rashes, irritation, and breathing difficulties in animals and humans.
Experts are also concerned that some alien species, which are currently not present in the UK, such as raccoons, may soon arrive.
Experts are also concerned about harlequin ladybugs, an aggressive predator with huge appetites that could threaten our native ladybug species by competing with them for food.
The IPBES report describes invasive alien species as one of the top five drivers of the “biodiversity apocalypse”, joining the ranks of climate change and pollution.
Commenting on the report, Dr James Bell, Quantitative Ecologist at Rothamsted Research, said: “This report represents an important milestone and provides much-needed evidence about how people and nature are under extreme pressure from more than 3,500 species. invasive aliens around the world.
“Professor Helen Roy is a world leader in monitoring invasive alien species and her team provides the evidence base to underpin the UK’s policy response and species alerts.”
“Early detection and monitoring of these invasive species is key to success, but we are still highly exposed.
“Often there is no effective control or it is too complicated and therefore it is better to be safe than sorry.
‘Take, for example, the caterpillar of the boxwood moth, which has spread rapidly from East Asia across continental Europe and is now systematically defoliating native boxwood plants in southern England, not to mention also our beloved garden plants: we can only stand and watch.
‘The UK is not keeping up with the rapid increase in invasive alien species and effective and coordinated control at national level is imperative.
‘Significant new investments in monitoring infrastructure and control measures are needed to help nature conservation identify and then mitigate growing threats.
‘Several recent invasions of the UK should worry us for the near future and beyond.
‘These include the impact of the Asian hornet on our honey bees, the devastating effects of Himalayan balsam, which is spreading rapidly in our prized nature reserves, and the growth of ‘crawfish plague’, a disease carried by the invasive crayfish. American crayfish, which provokes to kill off our native white-clawed crayfish.’