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Invasive non‐native species likely to threaten biodiversity and ecosystems in the Antarctic Peninsula region

Hughes, Kevin A.; Pescott, Oliver L.; Peyton, Jodey; Adriaens, Tim; Cottier‐Cook, Elizabeth J.; Key, Gillian; Rabitsch, Wolfgang; Tricarico, Elena; Barnes, David K.A.; Baxter, Naomi; Belchier, Mark; Blake, Denise; Convey, Peter; Dawson, Wayne; Frohlich, Danielle; Gardiner, Lauren M.; González‐Moreno, Pablo; James, Ross; Malumphy, Christopher; Martin, Stephanie; Martinou, Angeliki F.; Minchin, Dan; Monaco, Andrea; Moore, Niall; Morley, Simon A.; Ross, Katherine; Shanklin, Jonathan; Turvey, Katharine; Vaughan, David; Vaux, Alexander G.C.; Werenkraut, Victoria; Winfield, Ian J.; Roy, Helen E.

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Authors

Kevin A. Hughes

Oliver L. Pescott

Jodey Peyton

Tim Adriaens

Elizabeth J. Cottier‐Cook

Gillian Key

Wolfgang Rabitsch

Elena Tricarico

David K.A. Barnes

Naomi Baxter

Mark Belchier

Denise Blake

Peter Convey

Danielle Frohlich

Lauren M. Gardiner

Pablo González‐Moreno

Ross James

Christopher Malumphy

Stephanie Martin

Angeliki F. Martinou

Dan Minchin

Andrea Monaco

Niall Moore

Simon A. Morley

Katherine Ross

Jonathan Shanklin

Katharine Turvey

David Vaughan

Alexander G.C. Vaux

Victoria Werenkraut

Ian J. Winfield

Helen E. Roy



Abstract

The Antarctic is considered to be a pristine environment relative to other regions of the Earth, but it is increasingly vulnerable to invasions by marine, freshwater and terrestrial non‐native species. The Antarctic Peninsula region (APR), which encompasses the Antarctic Peninsula, South Shetland Islands and South Orkney Islands, is by far the most invaded part of the Antarctica continent. The risk of introduction of invasive non‐native species to the APR is likely to increase with predicted increases in the intensity, diversity and distribution of human activities. Parties that are signatories to the Antarctic Treaty have called for regional assessments of non‐native species risk. In response, taxonomic and Antarctic experts undertook a horizon scanning exercise using expert opinion and consensus approaches to identify the species that are likely to present the highest risk to biodiversity and ecosystems within the APR over the next 10 years. One hundred and three species, currently absent in the APR, were identified as relevant for review, with 13 species identified as presenting a high risk of invading the APR. Marine invertebrates dominated the list of highest risk species, with flowering plants and terrestrial invertebrates also represented; however, vertebrate species were thought unlikely to establish in the APR within the 10 year timeframe. We recommend (a) the further development and application of biosecurity measures by all stakeholders active in the APR, including surveillance for species such as those identified during this horizon scanning exercise, and (b) use of this methodology across the other regions of Antarctica. Without the application of appropriate biosecurity measures, rates of introductions and invasions within the APR are likely to increase, resulting in negative consequences for the biodiversity of the whole continent, as introduced species establish and spread further due to climate change and increasing human activity.

Citation

Hughes, K. A., Pescott, O. L., Peyton, J., Adriaens, T., Cottier‐Cook, E. J., Key, G., …Roy, H. E. (2020). Invasive non‐native species likely to threaten biodiversity and ecosystems in the Antarctic Peninsula region. Global Change Biology, 26(4), 2702-2716. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14938

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Oct 28, 2019
Online Publication Date Jan 13, 2020
Publication Date Apr 30, 2020
Deposit Date Jan 14, 2020
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal Global Change Biology
Print ISSN 1354-1013
Electronic ISSN 1365-2486
Publisher Wiley
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 26
Issue 4
Pages 2702-2716
DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14938

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Publisher Licence URL
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Copyright Statement
Advance online version This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is properly cited.
© 2020 The Authors.





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