Half of all weeds come to dominate the ocean island habitats they invade, a new analysis reveals.
By Matt Walker, Editor, Earth News Almost 400 invasive plant species have set up home as weeds on some of the world’s most distant oceanic islands. About half now dominate their new habitat, and hundreds more species are expected to invade these once pristine islands in the coming years. So says the most comprehensive survey to date of invasive plants on island archipelagos. Worse, people are mainly to blame, having repeatedly introduced these weeds into their farms and gardens. Non-native plants and animals can be extremely destructive. But while it is undisputed that many invasive animals such as rats and cats pose a major threat to biodiversity, it is less clear what role invasive plants play in changing native habitats. …
Invasion of the ‘island snatchers’
