Invasive species and global climate change.

Chapter 2 (Page no: 9)

Communicating the dynamic complexities of climate, ecology and invasive species.

Humans derive their resources from the natural world. As the human population continues to expand - with projections of up to 10 billion by mid-century - there is overwhelming evidence that global biological systems will deteriorate, threatening the complex biological interactions necessary for life support. Foremost among these disruptions is climatic change - the build-up of heat-absorbing gases from the burning of fossil fuels. The increase in surface temperature is altering climatic processes from precipitation to temperature to extreme weather events. In addition, these changes may be facilitating the spread, establishment and success of non-indigenous species. Such facilitation can overwhelm biological processes that range from biodiversity to biological constraints on agricultural productivity. This synergy represents a fundamental and ongoing threat to natural (forests, streams) and managed (agriculture) systems. But how to communicate such a threat? How can scientists and other specialists describe it in terms that non-specialists can understand? In particular, how can we provide a means to convince policy makers that it is crucial to understand the synergy between climate change and invasives, and to do something about it? Overall, science and societal awareness will be necessary to provide the global solutions essential to address the dynamic challenges of a changing climate, invasive species and resource needs.

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