SOS! Invasion of the… yellow… star… thistles?!
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
Ever had an unwanted guest in your garden? I’m up to my neck in Pampas Grass! Invasive species can disrupt habitats, push out native species, and be agricultural pests. So how long do we have to, “nip them in the bud?”
Enter Philipp Robeck from the University of Melbourne and team.
They looked at historical data of nearly six thousand invasive species worldwide – from animals to long-lived plants. They included data about environmental factors and climate.
Results?
Thirty-five percent of the time, there was a lag between species arrival and invasion. The average lag time was FORTY years, with the longest being over three HUNDRED years! In almost all species with a lag phase, climate changed between lag and invasion.
Researchers think these species waited for just the right conditions to spread out. Hopefully, this knowledge can help us protect native ecosystems.
Now that’s not such an alien idea!
Reference: Robeck, P., Essl, F., van Kleunen, M., Pyšek, P., Pergl, J., Weigelt, P., & Mesgaran, M. B. (2024). Invading plants remain undetected in a lag phase while they explore suitable climates. Nature ecology & evolution, 8(3), 477–488. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-02313-4