This “underappreciated, underestimated, and often unacknowledged” threat from invasive alien species imposed a global economic cost of more than $423 billion annually in 2019 and played a key role in the majority of plant and animal extinctions, according to a report from the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services published September 4, 2023.

More than 37,000 alien species have been introduced worldwide as a result of human activity — transported from one location to another in ships’ ballast water, for instance. Of these, 3,500 were found to be harmful and invasive as they wreaked havoc on local animal and plant species.

“Invasive alien species have been a major factor in 60% and the only driver in 16% of global animal and plant extinctions that we have recorded,” said professor Anibal Pauchard, co-chair of the Assessment.  more >>