It is time to drop the alien versus native species dichotomy in conservation, according to a group of eminent scientists concerned with the restoration of ecosystems around the world.
In an opinion piece published in Nature, Australian Laureate Fellow Winthrop Professor Richard Hobbs at The University of Western Australia and his co-authors argue that it is counterproductive to vilify non-native species if they do not harm the environment.
“Claims that introduced species pose an apocalyptic threat to biodiversity are not backed by data,” they claim. “Most human and natural communities now consist both of long-term residents and of new arrivals, and ecosystems are emerging that never existed before.”
Read more at The University of Western Australia