In one of The Herald's weekly "Public Professor" columns last September, University of Lethbridge environmental science professor Dan Johnson raised a serious environmental issue.
Johnson pointed out that the "winner" in terms of causing environmental damage isn't climate change, pollution, drought or overpopulation; it's the growing problem of invasive species.
A recently published study supports those concerns. The report, published in January in the journal "Environmental Reviews" warns that alien plants and animals are invading Canada, aided by climate change, and research and policy to deal with the problem are lagging far behind.
This isn't simply a theoretical threat. Research shows that species which have spread beyond their range include the mountain pine beetle which has damaged thousands of hectares of forest in B.C. and Alberta, as well as deer ticks which are spreading through Canada and carrying with them debilitating Lyme disease. Canadian forests and lakes are also threatened by invasive species such as the smallmouth bass, gypsy moth and kudzu plant.
A recent Canadian Press story reported that one study estimated there are at least 1,500 non-native species already in Canada, and estimated that just 16 of those species cost the Canadian economy between $13.3 billion and $34 billion annually.
One of the report's authors, biologist Andrea Smith at Toronto's York University, said even the invasive species that are being looked at are "not being studied very much." She warns Canada needs to begin looking ahead instead of reacting.
Smith and her fellow researchers aren't the only voices sounding the alarm about this threat. The Alberta Invasive Plants Council's website warns, "The World Conservation Union has identified invasive alien species as the second most significant threat to biodiversity, after habitat loss."
"In this new environment, free from their natural 'enemies,' non-native plants have an advantage that allows them to out-compete native plants and agricultural crops for space, moisture and nutrients."
Consequently, the effects of these invaders are felt right down to the consumer level.
The researchers make sense when they urge governments to step up efforts to deal with the situation. Invasive species are a threat to be taken seriously. We're already seeing the negative impact, and it will only worsen without proactive efforts to combat the problem.
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