Trends in DriversSource: Millennium Ecosystem Assessment

Annual costs associated withAnnual costs associated with Invasive Alien Species (IAS)Invasive Alien Species (IAS)

South Africa US$ 7 billionSouth Africa US$ 7 billionUK US$ 12 billion$Australia US$ 13 billionBrazil US$ 50 billion

$China US$ 15 billionUSA US$ 160 billionUSA US$ 160 billion

HOW IAS AFFECT HUMAN INTERESTSINTERESTS

• Destroy ricefields (golden apple snail)

• Block navigation, deplete oxygen, narrow navigation channels (water hyacinth)

• Reduce pollination of crops (Verroap p (mites)

HOW IAS AFFECT HUMAN INTERESTS

•Threaten human safety (fire ants, Africanized bees)

•Cause allergic toxic reactions (Parthenium, giant hogweed)( , g g )

•Spread human disease (rats, tiger mosquitoes)(rats, tiger mosquitoes)

HOW IAS AFFECT HUMAN INTERESTS

• Enhance urban and wildland fires (pines, eucalyptus, melaleuca)

Promote erosion and• Promote erosion and landslides (miconia, spotted knapweed)

• Destroy timber and street trees (gypsy moths, Asian long horned beetles)long-horned beetles)

And that’s just us.What about native biodiversity?What about native biodiversity?

•Britain’s 7 5 million domestic cats kill 300 million•Britain s 7.5 million domestic cats kill 300 million animals per year

•On Marion Island in the South Pacific feral cats•On Marion Island in the South Pacific, feral cats killed 450,000 seabirds annually

•On the Galapagos Islands (pictured) feral cats kill•On the Galapagos Islands (pictured), feral cats kill thousands of marine iguanas and endemic birds annuallyannually

The introduction of the Nile Perch has brought a new gsource of income to Lake Victoria

70% now extinct

Invasive species are affecting irt all all est arine s stemsvirtually all estuarine systems,

bays, and harbors; many coastlinesbays, and harbors; many coastlines are also infested

Caulerpa taxifolia

International Exchanges to EastExchanges to East Europe from North

A iAmerica• Comb Jellyfish (Mnemiopsis)Comb Jellyfish (Mnemiopsis)

from East coast to Black Sea (1982, with explosive growth late 1980s)late 1980s).

• Impacts: Reached densities of 300-500/m3; disrupted300 500/m ; disrupted ecosystem by consuming fish larvae, leading to collapse of fisheries and extinction offisheries and extinction of native species.

International Exchanges to North America from East Europep• Zebra mussels from Black, Aral,

Caspian Seas to NA Great lakes p(1988) and many other waterways in Mississippi and Missouri River systemssystems.

• Impacts: Encrusts and fouls docks, hulls, water intake pipes; , , p p ;density up to 700,000/m2, disrupting ecosystems, threatening 90+ species inthreatening 90+ species in Mississippi basins; 10-year bill for control: $3.1 billion.

F h t h bit t b th tFreshwater habitats maybe the most seriously affected habitat typey yp

The rainbow trout, a North American ,icon, has invaded streams in 80 new

t icountries, with oftenwith often devastating impacts on nativeon native species.p

The red-eared slider is one of the “World’s 100 Worst Invasive Species”

HealthLinks between human diseases and zoonotic diseases carried by IASHealthand zoonotic diseases carried by IAS

“We’re pretty sure it’s the West Nile virus.”

Agriculture

Russian knapweedpCentauria repens

KudzuPueraria lobata

Field bindweedJ hJ hMedusaheadT i th Field bindweed

Convulvus arvensisJohnsongrassSorghum halepenseJohnsongrassSorghum halepense

Taeniatherum captu-medusiae

How to address IAS problems

• Illustrate to the general gpublic -- and through them, to politicians -- the li k b tlinkages between globalization, IAS, and issues of human healthissues of human health, tourism, agriculture, water, fire, climate change, forestry, energy, and national identityidentity.

WMO could help, if it had the will to do sohad the will to do so.

Trade and biodiversity are closely linked, but the link is uncomfortable

CITES d t• CITES and tuna• Biosafety under the CBD• Nature-based tourism• Transboundary transport of toxic wastesy• Health-related issues• LabellingLabelling• Climate-related issues• Impacts on cultures including ABS• Impacts on cultures, including ABS • Corporate biodiversity responsibility

Risks to biodiversity of biotechnology• Risks to biodiversity of biotechnology, nanotechnology, and synthetic biology

The global marketplace promotes over-exploitation of biological resources because it is not able to detect the

i l i h l l lenvironmental impacts that are apparent to local people

Keys to success: Clear and convincing science; serious public concern; economically viable solutions; support from industry and other interest groups; and a strong legal basis.