Combatinginvasivespeciestoprotectlivelihoods-CABI：防治外来物种保护的生计CABI.pdfVIP

Combating invasive species to protect livelihoods Globalization, climate change and human mobility have fundamentally altered the biological world in which we live. As a result of travel, transport and tourism, species have been moved into new environments, where many have established and proliferated. The increased mobility of a host of species wreaks havoc in a range of sensitive habitats like coral reefs, forests and grasslands, as ‘invasive’ species arrive and compete with native species – animals and plants on which rural communities often depend. Tackling invasive species is often considered in the context of protecting biodiversity and the environment in general, but is also very much an issue of economic and social importance. Every year, invasive species are estimated to cost the global economy more than Ambrosia artemisiifolia (Ragweed), (H. Müller-Schärer) US$1.4 trillion, or 5% of global GDP (Pimentel et al, 2001). In developing countries, where fewer resources are available to tackle the problem, the impact of invasive species on economies and livelihoods is devastating. Dr Arne Witt, Invasive Species Coordinator at CABI, recognizes how invasive species can spell disaster for rural communities in the developing world: “Most people in developing countries are dependent on natural resources for their survival. People in rural communities use indigenous or native species for building materials, for grazing, for food, and for medicine. When invasive species come into the system, they erode the natural resources on which so many people depend.” Ophraella communa beetle 20 “All I have to do is call CABI up and they go to work. The economics of biological control is so overwhelmingly positive, in my mind it should be the base technology. When we have a