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Title: Global threats from invasive species in the twenty-first century and national response capacities

Author
item EARLY, R - University Of Exeter
item BRADLEY, B - University Of Massachusetts
item DUKES, J - Purdue University
item LAWLWER, J - University Of Washington
item OLDEN, J - University Of Washington
item Blumenthal, Dana
item D'ANTONIO, D - University Of California
item GONZALEZ, P - Us National Park Service
item GROSHOLZ, E - University Of California
item IBANEZ, I - University Of Michigan

Submitted to: Nature
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/17/2016
Publication Date: 8/23/2016
Citation: Early, R., Bradley, B.A., Dukes, J.S., Lawlwer, J.J., Olden, J.D., Blumenthal, D.M., D'Antonio, D.M., Gonzalez, P., Grosholz, E.D., Ibanez, I. 2016. Global threats from invasive species in the twenty-first century and national response capacities. Nature. 7:12485.

Interpretive Summary: Invasive species are largely seen as a ‘First World’ problem, owing to the historic concentration of invasions in economically highly developed countries. However, we show that invasions are fast becoming a global problem. The rapid rise in trade and transportation in developing economies in Asia, Africa and South America is causing increasingly widespread introduction of invasive species. Meanwhile, climate and agricultural change enhance invasive species establishment and spread. Emerging invasions threaten the last remaining biodiversity strongholds, and human livelihoods in the most fragile of economies. Despite the growing global threat from invasive species existing policies, particularly in the developing world, are not yet up to the challenge.

Technical Abstract: Invasions are largely seen as a ‘First World’ problem, owing to the historic concentration of invasions in economically highly developed countries. However, we show that terrestrial invasions are fast becoming a global problem. The rapid rise in trade and transportation in developing economies in Asia, Africa and South America is causing increasingly widespread introduction of invasive species. Meanwhile, climate and agricultural change enhance invasive species establishment and spread. Emerging invasions threaten the last remaining biodiversity strongholds (22% of biodiversity endemism hotspots face globally high threat levels), and human livelihoods in the most fragile of economies (15% of economically developed countries face globally high threat levels). Despite the growing global threat from invasive alien species existing policies, particularly in the developing world, are not yet up to the challenge.