2010/06/01 by Susan A. Mainka, Geoffrey W. Howard · 1 citation
Environmental Science · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Species Distribution and Climate Change #Plant and animal studies #Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
paper · doi:10.1111/j.1749-4877.2010.00193.x
openalex publication_date 2010/06/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
Two of the key drivers of biodiversity loss today are climate change and invasive species. Climate change is already having a measurable impact on species distributions, reproduction and behavior, and all evidence suggests that things will get worse even if we act tomorrow to mitigate any future increases in greenhouse gas emissions: temperature will increase, precipitation will change, sea level will rise and ocean chemistry will change. At the same time, biological invasions remain an important threat to biodiversity, causing species loss, changes in distribution and habitat degradation. Acting together, the impacts of each of these drivers of change are compounded and interactions between these two threats present even greater challenges to field conservationists as well as policymakers. Similarly, the social and economic impacts of climate change and invasive species, already substantial, will be magnified. Awareness of the links between the two should underpin all biodiversity management planning and policy.