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Animal invaders threaten protected areas worldwide

Author

Listed:
  • Xuan Liu

    (Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Tim M. Blackburn

    (University Colledge London
    Zoological Society of London)

  • Tianjian Song

    (Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Xuyu Wang

    (Anhui University)

  • Cong Huang

    (South China Normal University)

  • Yiming Li

    (Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

Abstract

Protected areas are the cornerstone of biodiversity conservation. However, alien species invasion is an increasing threat to biodiversity, and the extent to which protected areas worldwide are resistant to incursions of alien species remains poorly understood. Here, we investigate establishment by 894 terrestrial alien animals from 11 taxonomic groups including vertebrates and invertebrates across 199,957 protected areas at the global scale. We find that 95% of protected areas are environmentally suitable for establishment. Higher alien richness is observed in IUCN category-II national parks supposedly with stricter protection, and in larger protected areas with higher human footprint and more recent designation. Our results demonstrate that protected areas provide important protection from biological invasions, but invasions may become an increasingly dominant problem in the near future.

Suggested Citation

  • Xuan Liu & Tim M. Blackburn & Tianjian Song & Xuyu Wang & Cong Huang & Yiming Li, 2020. "Animal invaders threaten protected areas worldwide," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-9, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:11:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-020-16719-2
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16719-2
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    Cited by:

    1. Reaser, Jamie & Tabor, Gary M. & Becker, Daniel & Muruthi, Philip & Witt, Arne & Woodley, Stephen J. & Ruiz-Aravena, Manuel & Patz, Jonathan Alan MD, MPH & Hickey, Valerie & Hudson, Peter, 2020. "Land use-induced spillover: priority actions for protected and conserved area managers," EcoEvoRxiv bmfhw, Center for Open Science.
    2. Chunrong Mi & Liang Ma & Mengyuan Yang & Xinhai Li & Shai Meiri & Uri Roll & Oleksandra Oskyrko & Daniel Pincheira-Donoso & Lilly P. Harvey & Daniel Jablonski & Barbod Safaei-Mahroo & Hanyeh Ghaffari , 2023. "Global Protected Areas as refuges for amphibians and reptiles under climate change," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    3. Yiming Li & Tim M. Blackburn & Zexu Luo & Tianjian Song & Freyja Watters & Wenhao Li & Teng Deng & Zhenhua Luo & Yuanyi Li & Jiacong Du & Meiling Niu & Jun Zhang & Jinyu Zhang & Jiaxue Yang & Siqi Wan, 2023. "Quantifying global colonization pressures of alien vertebrates from wildlife trade," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.
    4. Daijun Liu & Philipp Semenchuk & Franz Essl & Bernd Lenzner & Dietmar Moser & Tim M. Blackburn & Phillip Cassey & Dino Biancolini & César Capinha & Wayne Dawson & Ellie E. Dyer & Benoit Guénard & Evan, 2023. "The impact of land use on non-native species incidence and number in local assemblages worldwide," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.

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