New Study: Invasive Species as Costly as Natural Disasters

Published on

July 17, 2023

Written by

Island Conservation

A new study in ScienceDirect led by Anna J. Turbelin analyzes biological invasions (invasive species) and natural hazards (storms, floods and wildfires) damage cost data over 1980–2019 and finds that invasion costs are as costly and increased faster over time with harmful impacts to societies and their environments, and human health.

Highlights

  • Damage costs from biological invasions and natural hazards are of similar magnitude.
  • Global biological invasion costs increased by 702% from 1980–1999 to 2000–2019.
  • Invasion costs increased faster than natural hazard damages over time (1980–2019).

Scientists reported that despite invasive species’ massive and rising economic costs, awareness of the severity of biological invasions remains low. Investments in the management of invasions have been vastly underfunded and delayed, causing trillion-dollar impacts that could have been avoided.

A study in Conservation Biology from April 2023 quantified the economic costs of invasive alien species on islands — and the immense benefits of preventing and removing them. Removing invasive species from islands has an 88% success rate restoring biodiversity and ecological health.

Here are some ways you can help stop the spread of invasive species.

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