Invasive species hitch a ride on marine litter
We are more aware than ever of the impact of pollution on marine life, from ingestion and entanglement in manmade waste, through to the discovery of microplastics within microorganisms, fish and large mammals. One perhaps overlooked impact is its role in the spread of invasive species. Acting as a raft on which potential invasive species…
CABI joins international team of scientists calling for a Global Surveillance System to fight crop diseases
CABI has joined an international team of scientists calling for a Global Surveillance System (GSS) to fight a range of diseases which threaten priority crops including maize, potato, cassava, rice, beans and wheat. The team, which includes the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) – lead authors of a new report published in Science (28 June 2019),…
Invasives killed the biodiversity star
The start of 2019 brought sad news when George, the last tree snail of his kind (Achatinella apexfulva) died on New Years Day. His death highlights the plight of Hawaiian snails and epitomises the rapid decline of biodiversity on the Hawaiian Islands.
The twelve pests of Christmas (trees)
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCmsBEgqt4M&w=560&h=315] For many, December means celebrating Christmas and a central part of that is a Christmas tree. Evergreen trees have been used in celebration for centuries. The ancient Egyptians, Chinese, and Hebrews used evergreen trees, wreaths, and garlands to symbolize eternal life. Pagans worshiped trees, and Romans used evergreen wreaths during the festival of…
Largest Invasive Alien Plant dataset is now published online!
By Samantha Garvin. Reblogged from JRS Biodiversity Foundation. CABI has published one of the most complete and current datasets on Invasive Alien Plants (IAP) in East and Southern Africa. This extraordinary dataset is already being translated into new research findings and conservation action on the ground.
Tackle invasive species to restore degraded landscapes
By Gilbert Nakweya Reblogged from SciDev.Net Invasive alien species should not be used in restoring degraded landscapes as their costs outweigh their benefits, experts say. Invasive alien species, according to the Convention on Biological Diversity, are plants, animals and other organisms that are non-native to an ecosystem, and may adversely affect human health and the…
New research assesses the effect of invasive crayfish on mosquito survival
Red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii), often known as the Louisiana crawfish are staple part of Cajun cuisine. However, new research published in Conservation Biology has found that the highly invasive crayfish allows mosquitoes to thrive in waterways, therefore making it more likely to increase the risk of mosquito-borne diseases.
Invasive Species Are Riding on Plastic Across the Oceans
Reblogged from National Geographic We know plastics are as plentiful in parts of the open ocean as they are in our everyday lives. But, until recently, scientists didn’t consider that such debris could also be carrying a new wave of invasive species to the shores of the United States. Now they’re finding that not only is…
Invasive species in rubbish dumps: A new challenge for waste management practices?
By Dr Pablo L. Plaza, Dr Karina L. Speziale, and Dr Sergio A. Lambertucci In the current global climate of excess waste production around the world, there is great concern about how waste and dump sites could be a global problem, especially because the amount of global waste is only set to increase in the…