Researchers have warned that one of the deadliest combinations in nature today is that of global warming and species invasions in various ecosystems around the world. The latest example of the latter stems from the infiltration of Argentine ants in British ecosystems. Media alerts have become increasingly prevalent as of late regarding the invasions of Asian hornets and the well known raccoon dog in the U.K. as well in light of several species being in the process of establishing themselves in a new place and thus becoming less and less likely to succumb to eradication.

The globalization of human trade and travel has paralleled the crossing of thousands of species over mountain ranges, borders and even oceans, which is yielding the establishment of these alien species in new regions. It is also causing so-called invasional meltdown in some cases, which represents more than a trillion dollars' worth of damage annually. New research illustrates an increasing number of alien flora and fauna reaching foreign lands, and it points to invasive species, in general, becoming a significant threat to human wellbeing, economies and wildlife.

Researchers worldwide are now congregating in Durham, U.K. to take stock of the scope of this problem. Rob Colautti, a Queens University professor in Canada, cautions, "There are very clear economic and human health consequences." The invasions of alien species into foreign lands in tandem with climate change has been described by Prof. Helen Roy from the U.K.'s Centre for Ecology and Hydrology as follows: "Changing climate might facilitate the establishment of some species that otherwise might not have been able to establish.

"For example, the Argentine ant is a species that we know has some indoor populations in London [and elsewhere], but in the last couple of years we have seen those indoor populations spread outdoors," Roy continued. "A little bit more climate warming for the U.K. and we could see the Argentine ant settling in very well." Roy also mentioned that these ants are among the most concerning invaders of all the non-native species. "We describe the Argentine ant as an 'ecosystem engineer' because it has quite far-reaching, cascading impacts."

The displacement of indigenous ants can easily upset the delicate balances of various ecosystems in the region for both insects and plants whereas these Argentine ants are simply following the warmth because they are attracted to warm areas. Additionally, Argentine ants are considered liable to interfere with electrical wiring, too. Roy added that they are also deemed likely to form so-called super colonies within the regions they invade because they are not regulated by the neighboring colonies with which they are juxtaposed in South America.

"That seems to have broken down in the invaded range. You get these much larger populations of these ants than you would in other places." Much like other island nations such as Japan or New Zealand, the U.K. has become an attraction for invasive species. Mark van Kleunen, a professor at Konstanz University in Germany, remarked, "For islands, the hypothesis is that islands have fewer native species than mainland regions, which means there is more ecological space that can be filled by newcomers." But he also pointed out that a lot of U.K. invaders have been on British shores since the middle ages. "Your rabbit came from the Iberian peninsula."

Billions of pounds are lost in economic damage annually in the U.K. on account of increasingly well established, alien species like mink, giant hogweed and Japanese knotweed. A more recent invader first observed in 2004 is the harlequin ladybird, but it now comprises just under 90 percent of all England's ladybirds while seven of the eight other indigenous species have seen precipitous declines since its arrival.

"We know that the harlequin ladybird is fantastic at eating aphids, so we might imagine it is going to be fantastic at pest control for farmers," Roy mentioned; however, she added that native ladybirds played a significant role already and that one of the most critical facets of a durable ecosystem is its variety of species. "Some [indigenous species] emerge earlier in the spring, others get up earlier in the morning."

The 2014 onset of quagga mussel invasion in the U.K. led to many of the current cautions from researchers about invasional meltdown as observed elsewhere. It is a bio-sociological phenomenon wherein alien species transform whole ecosystems. "It changes the whole chemistry and physical nature of a water body," Roy explained. The proliferation of the zebra mussel in North America, for example, has already been observed and credited with widespread ecological damage.

Roy and her colleagues compiled a list on which were several categorized threats, and the quagga mussel was ranked highest. The American lobster, Asian longhorn beetle, Emerald ash borer beetle and African sacred ibis also rank high on Roy's list. Perhaps needless to say, the aforementioned Argentine ant is highly placed on the threat assessment as well. Last September was the first time the Asian hornet was spotted in the U.K., but it has since been eradicated.

Roy also discussed the fact that individual citizens abroad should be keeping their eyes peeled for sightings that they can report via mobile app. "We know there are high numbers in France and that is not far away."

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