Abstract
As humans have spread out across the planet we have killed larger predators and other species we fear and compete with, confining them to history or to tiny remnants of their vast ranges. This process was particularly successful across Britain and Ireland, where the wolves and lynx people once lived alongside are long gone.
At the same time, humans have transported species we value outside of their native ranges. By introducing animals, plants and microorganisms into ecosystems where they did not evolve, we have inadvertently created invasive species which drive the extinction of native ones by eating, competing with and exposing them to new diseases. Over the last century, invasive species were the main cause of vertebrate species going extinct.
At the same time, humans have transported species we value outside of their native ranges. By introducing animals, plants and microorganisms into ecosystems where they did not evolve, we have inadvertently created invasive species which drive the extinction of native ones by eating, competing with and exposing them to new diseases. Over the last century, invasive species were the main cause of vertebrate species going extinct.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Specialist publication | The Conversation |
| Publication status | Published - 16 Jun 2022 |
Bibliographical note
Joshua P Twining receives funding from the British Ecological Society and the Department of Environment and Conservation, NY.Xavier Lambin receives funding from NERC, Forestry Commission England, Forestry and Land Scotland, Natural England, Scottish Natural Heritage, Cairngorms National Parks Authority, Leverhulme trust