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10 Sustainability
The best way to visualize and understand how an invasive species establishes
itself, and the damage it can cause, is through an example. One common invasive
species that is often discussed is the rabbit, a well-known and serious mammalian
pest in Australia. It has caused millions of dollars of damage to crops and local
wildlife since its introduction to the country in the eighteenth century. It was
deliberately introduced to the country when the first colonial fleet arrived on
Australia’s shores as a source of meat for the early settlers. They reproduced
exponentially to the point that they are now causing serious repercussions on
Australia’s natural ecology.
Rabbits have caused overgrazing of native and sown pastures, which has led to a
significant loss in plant biodiversity and a reduced yield from agricultural crops.
They also outcompete native animals and domestic livestock for food resources
and shelter. Given their abundance, they have become a plentiful food source for
predators, which has led to a dramatic increase in predator populations (Guisan et al.
2013). As a consequence, other small native mammal populations have reduced and
an increase in domestic animal predation and disease prevalence. Additionally, they
have also caused the spreading of other invasive species of weeds. The culmination
of these impacts has resulted in what people now recognize as the rabbit being the
most significant known factor of species and biodiversity loss in Australia’s history.
Such an example of an invasive species causing a host of problems to both the
environment and the economy is not uncommon, and there are many other examples
throughout the world where humans have acted as the catalyst for their geographical
expansion. Several other examples include the Asian tiger mosquito, which naturally
exists only in South-East Asia, but is now known to have spread to at least 28
countries outside its natural range in the last 20 years. This is thought to have come
from our international car tire trade, which is often a breeding ground for mosquito
larvae if left outside before transportation. This type of mosquito is known to carry
many diseases, including yellow fever, chikungunya fever, dengue fever, and the
Zika virus (Campos et al. 2015). As such, it is responsible for the transmission
of many human diseases into regions where the diseases would not normally be
prevalent.
By evaluating case studies such as Australia’s rabbits and the Asian tiger
mosquito, it is clear that introducing foreign wildlife to a new area may potentially
be severe. In the USA, the estimated damage and costs to control invasive species
has risen to over USD $138 billion per year in the form of recreational, tourism, and
agricultural damage as well as the costs for management. Through the recognition
of such extravagant levels of damage, we must learn from past mistakes and to
understand what precautions must be taken to avoid them in the future. This
will also help us to understand how to rectify these past mistakes and alleviate
the environmental consequences of already established invasive species. Applying
the concept of environmental sustainability as a means to control and manage
invasive species is extremely challenging. However, it is absolutely crucial, given
the increasing worldwide rates of invasion and the high cost of their impact on the
environment.
10 Sustainability
The best way to visualize and understand how an invasive species establishes
itself, and the damage it can cause, is through an example. One common invasive
species that is often discussed is the rabbit, a well-known and serious mammalian
pest in Australia. It has caused millions of dollars of damage to crops and local
wildlife since its introduction to the country in the eighteenth century. It was
deliberately introduced to the country when the first colonial fleet arrived on
Australia’s shores as a source of meat for the early settlers. They reproduced
exponentially to the point that they are now causing serious repercussions on
Australia’s natural ecology.
Rabbits have caused overgrazing of native and sown pastures, which has led to a
significant loss in plant biodiversity and a reduced yield from agricultural crops.
They also outcompete native animals and domestic livestock for food resources
and shelter. Given their abundance, they have become a plentiful food source for
predators, which has led to a dramatic increase in predator populations (Guisan et al.
2013). As a consequence, other small native mammal populations have reduced and
an increase in domestic animal predation and disease prevalence. Additionally, they
have also caused the spreading of other invasive species of weeds. The culmination
of these impacts has resulted in what people now recognize as the rabbit being the
most significant known factor of species and biodiversity loss in Australia’s history.
Such an example of an invasive species causing a host of problems to both the
environment and the economy is not uncommon, and there are many other examples
throughout the world where humans have acted as the catalyst for their geographical
expansion. Several other examples include the Asian tiger mosquito, which naturally
exists only in South-East Asia, but is now known to have spread to at least 28
countries outside its natural range in the last 20 years. This is thought to have come
from our international car tire trade, which is often a breeding ground for mosquito
larvae if left outside before transportation. This type of mosquito is known to carry
many diseases, including yellow fever, chikungunya fever, dengue fever, and the
Zika virus (Campos et al. 2015). As such, it is responsible for the transmission
of many human diseases into regions where the diseases would not normally be
prevalent.
By evaluating case studies such as Australia’s rabbits and the Asian tiger
mosquito, it is clear that introducing foreign wildlife to a new area may potentially
be severe. In the USA, the estimated damage and costs to control invasive species
has risen to over USD $138 billion per year in the form of recreational, tourism, and
agricultural damage as well as the costs for management. Through the recognition
of such extravagant levels of damage, we must learn from past mistakes and to
understand what precautions must be taken to avoid them in the future. This
will also help us to understand how to rectify these past mistakes and alleviate
the environmental consequences of already established invasive species. Applying
the concept of environmental sustainability as a means to control and manage
invasive species is extremely challenging. However, it is absolutely crucial, given
the increasing worldwide rates of invasion and the high cost of their impact on the
environment.