Invasive species continue to threaten the balance of ecosystems around the world, with countries in sub-Saharan Africa being the most vulnerable of all. According to a new study, rich nations such as China and the United States may be playing a large role in how these pests are spread.
Dr. Dean Paini and his colleagues at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) in Australia examined the distribution of close to 1,300 different kinds of invasive pests and pathogens, and how it affects trade flows and the agricultural production of countries around the world.
Their goal was to determine the potential costs of damage to crop production, which these invasive species might cause to individual countries.
The researchers found that developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa stand to lose the most if these destructive pests manage to spread to their territories.
Paini explained that these nations generally lack diverse economies that would allow them to be less dependent on their agricultural production. Because of this, any threat from invasive pests could potentially have a far greater impact on these countries than on others.
Spread of Invasive Species to Other Countries
The CSIRO team also identified which nations pose the greatest threat to others in terms of their ability to spread invasive species, based on the pests that are already established in their territories as well as the scale of their agricultural export.
The researchers discovered that China and the United States pose the greatest threat where invasive species are concerned. This result was not surprising given that both countries have large-scale agriculture export industries; operate extensive networks of trade partners; and have a considerably high number of established invasive pests.
Since they manage two of the largest industries for agricultural export in the world, both China and the U.S. could also suffer the greatest potential cost from further pest invasions out of all of the countries the CSIRO team studied.
However, the ability of these developed countries to mitigate the damage of invasive species, such as through better plant breeding, substitution of crops, or management of pests, could also mean that they are not as vulnerable as the agriculture industries of poorer nations.
The researchers expect that pressures from invasive pests will only intensify in the coming years as more and more trade connections between countries are made and the volume of trade is increased.
Paini pointed out that their study provides helpful insights, which could be used to develop better ways to manage the spread of invasive species around the world.
"By identifying the countries and regions that are most vulnerable, governments can make informed decisions regarding the deployment of resources necessary to protect their borders and agriculture industries by limiting the further spread of invasive species," Paini said.
The results of the CSIRO study are featured in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Photo: William Warby | Flickr
