Island Conservation’s COP 16 Position Paper
Island Conservation attended the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity!
Restoring islands for nature and people worldwide.
Published on
September 18, 2023
Written by
Sally
Photo credit
Sally
How much do you know about the science of invasive species on islands? If you’re like most people, you’ve probably heard some stories about how animals or plants that are not native to an island can cause problems for the local ecosystem. But do you know why they’re so disruptive, and what we can do to stop their worst effects? Test your knowledge with these nine key facts, backed up by decades of scientific evidence!
Differentiating between invasive species and non-native species is important–and confusion between the terms has caused problems in the past!
On islands–with invasive species as the primary causes!
predation, competition for resources, and habitat destruction. Scientists studied these threats on Gough Island in 2004.
Rodents. Rats and mice, in particular, are extremely pervasive, with the house mouse boasting a range more extensive than any mammal besides humans!
Yes! Humans are at risk of rat bite fever, salmonella poisoning, monkeypox, and a variety of other diseases.
Yes, both intentionally and unintentionally. For example, rats are prolific stowaways on ships, and other species like mongoose and goats are introduced on purpose.
Really fast–in some cases reproducing more than five times a year! A 2017 study found that a single pair of rats could theoretically produce half a billion descendants in just three years. Once introduced, they can swiftly take over the native habitats they invade.
Removing invasive species. It’s unequivocal–and re-introducing native plants and animals, a process called rewilding, is most successful when the invasive species have been removed!
More than 600! The success rates of these projects is huge, and they have a long history–more than 2,000 eradication projects on over 1,200 islands stretching back to the late 1800s!
Every year, we learn more and more about the threats invasive species pose to island ecosystems. A recent report from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, in fact, shows that the human costs might be higher than we estimated, stopping island communities from pursuing sustainable development and climate resilience.
While many of these invasive species facts might seem bleak, others point to restoration and rewilding as effective methods to combat their worst effects. At Island Conservation, we are full of success stories about what happens when we take action to stop invasive species and restore healthy ecosystems. Join us to restore islands for people and nature!
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