Wild gingers – beastly beauties
Wild gingers, Hedychium spp., belong to the same family as edible ginger (Zingiber officinale), but they have no culinary value. Native to moist tropical forests of Central and Southeastern Asia, they are cultivated the world over as ornamentals. Their large, glossy leaves flare out around their tall reedy stems and their orchid-like, showy blossoms come…
Evolution of “Super-Invasive” Cane Toads
The cane toad (Rhinella marina) has become invasive in much of its introduced range, impacting significantly on biodiversity in these regions. Not only does the cane toad prey upon and compete with native species, it also produces a potent toxin that can be deadly to would-be predators. Nowhere is the impact of the cane toad…
The economic impact of invasive species on Great Britain revealed
A report, written by CABI for the Scottish government, Defra and the Welsh Assembly Government, estimates the cost of invasive non-native species to Great Britain in unprecedented detail. Invasive non-native species can have wide-ranging effects on biodiversity, crop production and people’s livelihoods. A better understanding of the negative impacts of invasive species will help to…
Could invasive species signal the end for native crayfish?
As one of Europe’s five native crayfish species, the white clawed crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes) has suffered a huge decline in numbers in the last couple of decades. This docile crustacean is usually found hiding under rocks in streams, rivers and lakes, only emerging at night to avoid predators. A fortnight ago it’s IUCN status was…
Latest GISP publications on invasive species
The Global Invasive Species Programme (GISP) has recently published two publications on invasive species, Mainstreaming Gender into Prevention and Management of Invasive Species, and Invasive Species, Climate Change and Ecosystem-Based Adaption: Addressing Multiple Drivers of Global Change, both of which deserve a read. Both publications can be downloaded via the GISP website
Are we fuelling future invasions?
The world is fast running out of fossil fuels and with an energy crisis looming, intensive research is being carried out across the globe to find renewable alternatives. Top of the list are biofuels; fuels derived from biomass. Will the plants grown to provide this biomass behave themselves when introduced to sites outside their native…
Natural Born Killers
Last month anglers at Grafham Water reservoir in Cambridgeshire, UK spotted the invasive killer shrimp Dikerogammarus villosus. The first sighting of this ferocious little beast in the UK has instigated the GB Non Native Species Secretariat (NNSS) to issue a species alert as part of the GB rapid response protocol in an attempt to contain…
Public perception and knotweed biocontrol
In 2010, we commenced with a controlled release of the specialist Japanese knotweed natural enemy, Aphalara itadori, in the UK. This has been the culmination of many years of project development and intense research and is effectively a first for Europe, at least as far as weeds are concerned. Japanese knotweed pushing through tarmac in Buckinghamshire…
About the CABI Invasives blog
The CABI Invasives blog is an opportunity for scientists across our centres to highlight their research and debate topical issues in the field of invasive species. We hope the blog will reflect the diversity of research projects and consultancies CABI scientists are involved in and can be used to spark wider debate in the field…
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