The development of trade and transportation has led to the intentional and accidental spread of invasive (alien or non-native) animal and plant species throughout the world. According to German scientists from the GEOMAR Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research in Kiel, these biological invasions can cost trillions of dollars and contribute to the spread of diseases. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine Global Ecology and Biogeography (GEB).
“We examined whether the abundance of non-native species reflected patterns in global biodiversity,” said marine biologist Elizabeta Briski, author of the report. “We then examined whether certain groups of species would disproportionately settle in new areas.”
To do this, scientists compiled a complete list of non-native species described to date (there are about 37 thousand of them in the world) and grouped them according to biological taxonomy, from phyla to classes and families. They then related these to global biodiversity.
It turned out that an average of 1% of all living organisms in the world were transported to one place by humans. This is true for microscopically small creatures and hippo-sized animals.
The researchers found that the most common non-native species were those transported for forestry, agriculture, horticulture and other purposes. Unwanted species are often spread through transportation; For example, mice that travel with people on ships in the seas are an example of this.
The results showed that tremendous potential remains for future biological invasions of various species. At the same time, the distribution showed that, in theory, almost any species on Earth could be moved from its natural range to new areas.
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