As the world gets smaller, the chances of invasion grow

An analysis of assessment outcomes from eight years’ operation of the Australian border weed risk assessment system

“…Daehler et al (2004) found that the weed elsewhere question did not predict all serious weeds in their Hawaiian study, although it was equally effective as the full WRA in identifying serious weeds in Florida (Gordon et al, 2008). The proportion, in the BA dataset, of species that are not weeds elsewhere supports the concerns of numerous authors (Williams et al, 2001;Perrings et al, 2005;McNeely, 2006), who consider that more species with no previous record of introduction will be spread worldwide with globalisation and increasing trade. However, given that weed elsewhere was not the first splitting variable in the full TREE model, it does appear that the WRA has a capacity to capture species that have no history of weediness.…”

Adventive (Non‐Native) Insects: Importance to Science and Society

“…Invasive species cannot be prevented, but the problem can be minified if attempts at amelioration are viewed as the 'art and science of managing people' (Reaser 2001). We agree that human dimensions of the problem deserve more attention and that effective solutions depend heavily on policymakers appreciating connections between invasive species and global trade, transport, and tourism (McNeely 2001b(McNeely , 2006. Numerous suggestions for alleviating the invasive-species problem have been made (e.g., Lodge et al 2006, Nentwig 2007).…”

“…The economic effects of such species can be particularly devastating to developing nations (Vitousek et al 1996). Countries that experience the greatest effects from invasive species are heavily tied into systems of global trade (Dalmazzone 2000, McNeely 2006. Invasive species generally have had greater impact in the USA than in continental Europe, where traditionally they have been regarded as a less serious threat (Williamson 1999).…”

“…Recommendations include an obvious need to develop reliable predictive theories of biological invasions; to be more aware of species that have become invasive elsewhere; and to foster greater international collaboration and cooperation (Clout andDe Poorter 2005, Bateman et al 2007), with continued development of online information networks and less emphasis on political boundaries (McNeely 2001c, McNeely et al 2001, Simpson et al 2006). Greater collaboration among biologists, economists, geographers, psychologists, and sociologists will be particularly crucial in addressing problems (McNeely 2006). Among more innovative suggestions is the development of approaches that would subsidize native species until they are able to adapt to altered environments and coexist with invaders (Schlaepfer et al 2005).…”

A virus and its vector, pepper yellow leaf curl virus and Bemisia tabaci, two new invaders of Indonesia

“…While harmful biological invasions assisted by human activity (Mack and Lonsdale 2001) are not new, the threat posed is on the increase (Levine and D'Antonio 2003;McNeely 2006) through vehicles such as Ecommerce (Walters et al 2006), air transport (Colizza et al 2006;Caton et al 2006) and international passenger movement (McCullough et al 2006) all of which have accelerated in volume and frequency over the past 20 years. The consequences of invasions range from ecological to economic damage (Mack et al 2000;Kats and Ferrer 2003;Kriticos et al 2005;Pimentel et al 2005) although in many cases quantification of impact is lacking (Ricciardi and Atkinson 2004) or limited (Pimentel et al 2005).…”