Non-Native Species Outpace Native Counterparts in Climate Change Race

A team of scientists has uncovered that non-native species are expanding their ranges exponentially faster than native species, largely due to inadvertent human intervention. Even typically sedentary non-native plants are migrating at a pace three times faster than their native counterparts, a critical finding given the rapid climate changes impacting habitats globally.

Led by researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, including participants from various U.S. states and Spain, the study has been published in the Annual Reviews of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics. Bethany Bradley, a professor of environmental Conservation at UMass Amherst and the study’s lead author, highlights the critical nature of their findings: “Invasive plant species are increasing exponentially worldwide. We also know that plant nurseries are exacerbating the climate-driven spread of invasives and that confronting invasives is one of the best ways to prepare for Climate change. ”

Bradley and her team sought to determine the current rate at which both native and non-native species are moving. Their extensive survey encompassed numerous previously published papers and publicly available datasets, examining the movement patterns across different taxa and ecosystems. They found that to cope with Climate change, species need to shift their ranges by 3.25 kilometers annually—a speed that native species cannot achieve without human aid.

The study reveals a stark contrast in the movement rates: while native species are moving at an average of 1.74 kilometers per year, non-native species are spreading at a remarkable 35 kilometers per year. When human activities are factored in, the spread rate of non-native species skyrockets to an astonishing 1,883 kilometers per year, 1,000 times faster than native species.

“Essentially, there’s no chance for native species to keep up with Climate change without human help,” Bradley asserts.

The researchers also explored how far native and non-native species might spread in a warming world. While fewer case studies were available for synthesis, the team concluded that non-native species are likely to find more suitable territories compared to native species. However, this also means that non-native species may face significant territory losses as some range margins become unsuitable.

Bradley emphasizes the need for assisted migration—deliberately helping native species move to more suitable locations—to give native plants and animals a fighting chance. “It’s really clear that people are very good at moving species, and this is one of the biggest advantages that non-native species have,” she notes.

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Related Content:

• 7 Reasons Why Planting Native Species is Important
• U.S. Wildlife Agency Initiates Review for Nine Species and a Plant Under the Endangered Species Act
• Amazing Map Has 1,642 Species and No Humans
• 10 Invasive Species Impacting Public Health and Ecosystems Due to Climate Change
• Why Do Australia and Southeast Asia Have Different Species?

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