Invasive Species in Europe: Status and Policy

The spread of non-native species has been aided by the globalisation of trade and travel. A percentage of these species establish themselves and have major environmental, economic, and human health consequences. Invasive species are increasingly acknowledged as one of the most significant drivers of biodiversity change around the world. As a long-standing commercial hub, Europe has witnessed the introduction and subsequent settlement of thousands of non-native species.

Viruses and bacteria are among them, as are fungi, plants, and mammals. Although invasive species have a wide range of negative consequences across Europe, they also provide scientists with the opportunity to develop and test theories about how species enter and leave communities, how non-native and native species interact, and how different species affect ecosystem functions. For these reasons, the discipline of invasion biology has recently expanded as scientists attempt to better understand the process of invasion, the changes that invading species create in their host ecosystems, and approaches to mitigate invasive species concerns.

Pathways of Introduction of Invasive Species

The classification of non-native species’ routes has a lengthy history. Thellung created one of the earliest classifications for Central Europe. More modern schemes can be found in and, as well as reviews and syntheses in and. Importation as or with a commodity, arrival with a transport vector, and spread by the species themselves, either through infrastructure corridors (e.g., roads, canals) or unaided, were identified by Hulme et al., the most recent classification from a European perspective.

The first, transportation as or with a commodity, stems from the direct human movement of things. People use transportation as a commodity when they identify a species with desired characteristics and relocate it outside of its natural range.

Terrestrial animals

Most terrestrial vertebrate animals that have been established in Europe (or elsewhere in the world) were brought as commodities, such as pets, live food, or stock for the fur pelt trade. Although some of these channels have been modified or blocked to lessen the risk of invasion, many others are still functioning. The pet trade, for example, continues to be a major source of new invasive species in Europe.

Terrestrial plants

Almost two-thirds of Europe’s established plant species (62.8 percent) were purposefully imported for aesthetic, horticultural, or agricultural uses. The remaining species were unintentionally introduced, usually as transport vectors or contaminants in seeds and other commodities.

Aquatic organisms

The introduction mechanisms for aquatic animals are less well understood than those for terrestrial organisms. This is partly due to the fact that many aquatic species are accidentally introduced with few (if any) records retained. Furthermore, because sampling in marine and freshwater settings is challenging, a species may be well established and have spread from its initial introduction site before it is discovered.

Characteristics of highly invaded regions

The number of invasive species found in a given area is determined by the number of species introduced, the proportion of introduced species that have become established, and the proportion of established species that have caused harm. Invasion biologists have largely ignored the paths and processes of introduction when looking at variations between regions, focusing instead on the proportions of introduced species that become established and established species that become invasive. Ecosystems with high amounts of these components have been thought to be extremely invasive, whereas others have been thought to be reasonably resistant.

Various explanations have been presented to explain why some areas appear to be more invasible than others. The biotic resistance hypothesis, championed by Charles Elton (often referred to as the scientist who founded the field of invasion biology, despite the fact that Charles Darwin and other biologists had already written about the spread and impacts of non-native species,) was perhaps the most influential. According to this theory, environments with great biodiversity and low levels of disturbance, particularly from people, are more resistant to non-native species establishment.

Characteristics of invasive species

An additional viewpoint is to consider whether there are characteristics of non-native species that are linked to successful invasion passage. For decades, ecologists have studied this subject, focusing on intuitive life-history qualities like early reproduction, strong reproductive output, and a non-specialized diet. Because several countries, including several in Europe and the European Union, have begun to build risk assessment programmes for non-native species, this study has recently become more significant.

The search for trends in species features that are associated with successful invasion passage begins with the creation of risk assessment tools. If robust patterns are discovered, they can be used to predict the chance of non-native species being established, spreading, and/or becoming invasive. Knowledge of non-native species features can aid proactive attempts to prevent further invasions in this way.

Invasive species policy in Europe

Within the EU, there is a wide range of national policies to invasive species. These policies and processes range from reasonably advanced rules and procedures, such as the Netherlands’ national policy framework for dealing with invasive species, to countries that do very nothing to prevent invaders from arriving and spreading. However, in the EU, open internal borders create a weak-link problem, putting even the strictest laws at danger because some of its neighbours and trading partners are doing very little.

There are various international instruments that address the dangers posed by invasive species. These include the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which compels ratifying countries to work to prevent the introduction, spread, and export of all forms of invasive species. There is little history of nations being sanctioned for failing to implement the invasive species criteria, and there is minimal evidence that the CBD has improved global invasive species management.

Conclusion

Due to Europe’s long history as a crossroads for international trade, it now possesses a high number and diversity of established non-native species. Many of these species are invasive, affecting all environments throughout Europe. Loss of natural biodiversity, economic losses, and impairment to human health are all consequences. The science of invasion biology has advanced significantly in recent decades, resulting in a greater understanding of the biology of invading species. Invasions are intrinsically a multi-disciplinary challenge, according to one of the emerging discoveries of invasion biology.

Species are introduced specifically by human economic activity. It is hard to explain and comprehend biological invasions without a good comprehension of these activities. The role of propagule pressure as an invasion driver exemplifies this point. Human activities drive propagule pressure, which is now recognised as a major element in many, if not all, invasions.