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Issue 52 | May 2009
CSIRO is working on invasive species at the
pre-border, border and post-border level
This year's theme for the United Nations' International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) on 22 May was invasive alien species (IAS).
According to Mark Lonsdale, Biodiversity Research Director (and Entomology Chief), invasive species are already a major cause of biodiversity loss. He believes that increasing globalisation has led to greater movement of new species around the world and this has implications for native species.
'CSIRO is putting considerable resources into research on IAS as well as actively participating in international groups such as DIVERSITAS and the Global Invasive Species Programme', he said.
Current CSIRO research targets invasive species already in Australia as well as trying to anticipate and avert the next generation of IAS. The threats are diverse and hard to predict so excellence in risk-based research to make sense of the complexity is also essential.
CSIRO research ranges from weeds, rabbits, carp and risk analysis of potential invasive species to biological collections that underpin much of the research.
Mark stressed that invasive species are but one of many direct threats to global biodiversity and, in Australia, CSIRO is responding to the magnitude of the challenge.
Have a look at some of CSIRO's research on IAS at Invasive alien species threaten global biodiversity.
