Invasive species: conservation faces a dilemma!

Invasive species: conservation faces a dilemma!

An alarming report from the University of Vienna reveals that non-native animal species introduced by humans are playing a key role in global species decline! According to the study, conducted by ecologists Franz Essl and Lisa Tedeschi, 60 percent of species that have become extinct worldwide in recent decades can be linked to invasive species. The team therefore asks whether these non-native species do not deserve protection in their new habitat. In Central Europe, around 36 of 230 invasive mammal species are affected, which illustrates the enormous challenge for nature conservation Small newspaper reported.

A surprising discovery by researchers shows that these invasive species, such as the endangered crested macaque and the wild rabbit, are endangered in their original home ranges while they are proliferating in new areas, such as Indonesia and Australia. Due to massive rainforest destruction and overhunting, many of them are in danger in their homeland, which increases the complexity of species protection. Essl explained that when analyzing the global extinction risk, only a fifth of the species are underestimated in their threat, taking non-native populations into account.

Species numbers and their meaning

In total, around 1.8 million species are known worldwide, of which around 71,500 have been identified in Germany BfN determines. What is particularly noteworthy is that Germany has few species compared to other countries, which increases the urgency of taking all available protective measures. It is estimated that due to methodological advances and new discoveries, the art of species classification continues to gain importance, while many species may have become extinct before they are documented.

The challenge for scientists and conservationists is to find the balance between protecting these non-native species and preserving the native species that desperately need help in their natural environment. The results of the study and the number of species show how vulnerable our ecosystem is and how important it is to actively protect biodiversity.