IPBES report: World underestimates invasive species

While overgrown ornamental shrubs that have escaped from home gardens are among the most visible new creatures, it is often the inconspicuous species that are causing the most serious damage – for example fungi, which currently threaten to wipe out entire populations of native tree species such as ash. Or elm.

“In principle, we know what we have to do,” IPBES author and ecologist Sven Bakker from the University of Freiburg told Zeit. In many places, introduced animal and plant species have already been successfully controlled, for example with insecticides or by introducing predators from the invaders’ habitat in order to control them. However, experts at the Global Biodiversity Council criticized in their report that not even half of all countries are investing in managing biological invaders. Prevention is of particular importance: the transfer of foreign species must be prevented through global transport of goods, but also through tourism.

Anyone who treats invasive species as someone else’s problem is making a very costly mistake, says Anibal Bouchard, co-author of the report. In addition to Chile’s Bouchard, Britain’s Helen Roy and Canadian Peter Stoet led the process of preparing the platform’s report. The document may be running The facility’s website Can be downloaded.