More than 2500 plant species have the potential to invade the Arctic at the expense of the species that belong there.
More than 2500 plant species have the potential to invade the Arctic at the expense of the species that belong there. Norway is one of the areas that is particularly at risk.
Species that are not native to an area can displace species that already live there. The Intergovernmental Panel on Nature (IPBES) considers this to be one of the greatest threats to species diversity on our planet.
Researchers have now catalogued which alien plants may pose a threat to plants in the Arctic. The results are concerning, particularly at a time when it has probably never been easier for alien species to spread.
Read More: Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Image: Human activity brings with it alien species and creates excellent conditions that allow them to become established in an otherwise barren Arctic landscape. The slope below the old barn and farm buildings in Barentsburg is very nutrient-rich after manure and food scraps were dumped there for years. New alien species appear here at regular intervals, even though farming ceased many years ago. (Credit:Photo: Kristine Bakke Westergaard, NTNU University Museum)
