Context

1
Context

• why are invasive species important?

2
Lots of Conventions, Agreements and Policies.

• Some examples

3
The International Convention on Biodiversity

• Title 8. In-situ Conservation
• regulate biological resources,
• promote protection of habitats
• restore degraded ecosystems
• recovery of threatened species
• control spread of alien species

4
The EU Imports Directive

• From January 2005
• actions to exclude alien pests and diseases
  from the Community.
• Phytosanitary checks on 100 of regulated plant
  material from third countries will take place at
  the first point of entry to the EU.
• The intention is to increase the effort to
  prevent the introduction of alien pests and
  diseases rather than eradicate and contain them
  once they have entered the EU.

5
International Maritime Organization Resolution
on Ballast Water

• Resolution A.868(20)
• GUIDELINES FOR THE CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT OF
  SHIPS' BALLAST WATER TO MINIMIZE THE TRANSFER OF
  HARMFUL AQUATIC ORGANISMS AND PATHOGENS

6
Global Invasive Species Network (GISN)

• Baltimore Declaration Mission statement
• To develop and share electronic information
  management tools to better identify, map, and
  predict the spread of invasive species at
  regional and global levels.

7
Royal Horticultural Society (Policy of 2003)

• 3. The Society believes that a national body
  should be charged with this responsibility and
  given resources for monitoring and evaluating
  potentially invasive plants and the co-ordination
  of their control.
• 5. Doesnt stock or allow to be shown Himalayan
  Balsam, Giant Hogweed, Japanese Knotweed, fairy
  fern, New Zealand pigmy weed, Parrots Feather
  floating pennywort.

8
Rate of new introductions
In the Great Lakes about one new species per year.
9
Economics

• David Pimentel Cornell University loss from
  invasive species (in the USA) 123 billion a
  year.
• Weeds cost Australia an average of 4 billion
  a year. The cost has doubled in just 20 years and
  is likely to increase.

10
Economics II

• Where do the estimates of the costs of invasive
  species come from? RNT Consulting examined costs
  of invasive species in Canada
• 50 species examined in detail,
• 16 had some economic information
• 9 had solid economic data.

11
Economics IIIZebra Mussels in the Great Lakes

• 1989-1995 approximately US1 billion (C. ONeill,
  Jr., pers. comm.)
• 1989 Ontario Hydro 6 million to prevent clogging
  (Manitoba Department of the Environment 1991).
• 2000 Ontario Hydro 20 million, with an annual 1
  million in operating costs (Legislative Assembly
  of Ontario 2000).
• 1989-2002 Ontario Power Total capital and
  research expenditure 30 million, annual costs 5
  to 8 million/year (Wiancko 2002).
• 2001 The City of St. Catharines was told that
  7.5 billion in expenditures on control
  measures since 1989.
• 2001 - cost of damage in the Great Lakes (Canada
  and the U.S.) is over 3 billion (Commissioner of
  the Environment and Sustainable Development
  2001).

12
Interaction with People

• Some examples

13
Grey Squirrel in Italy

• 1948 - introduced into Piedmont
• 1970 - starts to spread.
• 1989 IUCN British Forestry Commission,
  advises eradication.
• 1996 - predicted to reach the Alps in two years,
  population 2,500-6,400 individuals
• 1997 - trial eradication in Racconigi Park
• June 1997 - animal rights group started court
  case eradication stopped.
• July 2000 - court acquits NWI.
• But they have now reached the forests of the
  Alps and eradication is no longer feasible

14
Water cress in New Zealand

• Waikoropupu Springs home to an endemic moss
  Hypnobartlettia fontana)
• Spring fenced so cattle had no access.
• Watercress (Rorippa nastustrium-aquaticum)
  suddenly expands and covers almost entire site.
• 1990 - hand-weeding programme introduced
• Introduced rush, Juncus microcephalus, invaded
  the bare areas and the recovering communities. It
  has a stronger root system and its removal causes
  much more disturbance.
• 2000 - introduced aquatic grass species, Glyceria
  fluitans and G. declinata invade the spring more
  difficult to control than the Juncus.

15
Western Corn Rootworm in Europe

• 1992 one patch 500 m from Belgrade airport
• 1994 estimated cost of eradication 6-8 million
  (but sanctions against Yugoslavia so nothing
  happened)
• Mid-1990s Hungary, Bulgaria Romania
• 1998 - Italy
• 2003 Switzerland Slovakia 2003
• Damage 400 million per year.

16
New Zealand Flatworm Arthurdendyus triangulatus
(formerly Artioposthia triangulata)
Belfast 1963, Edinburgh 1965 English
distribution in 2003 (n63)
17
Questions

• To what extant can we and should we include
  interaction with people, either through the
  movement of the species, modifications to the
  habitat or social concerns?
• To what extent can we rely on observed
  distributions to validate models?
• To what extent can we interact with economic
  concerns?