Extreme Weather Events Drive Shifts in Ecosystems, Favoring Non-Native Species

A recent analysis reveals that extreme weather events, including heatwaves, cold waves, droughts, and floods, are influencing ecosystems by displacing native species with non-native ones. The study, conducted by researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, analyzed 443 studies covering 1,852 native and 187 non-native species in land, marine, and freshwater habitats. The findings, published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, indicate that while both native and non-native species exhibit positive and negative responses to extreme weather events, non-native species tend to surpass native ones in positive responses.

Key Insights

1. Impact on Marine Animals: Overall, marine animals, whether native or non-native, remained insensitive to extreme weather events. However, native molluscs, corals, and anemones were negatively affected by heatwaves.
2. Terrestrial and Freshwater Habitats: Heatwaves and storms affected non-native species in terrestrial and freshwater habitats, respectively. Native animals showed adverse responses to heatwaves, droughts, and cold spells in terrestrial ecosystems, displaying more vulnerability to extreme weather events.
3. Response Patterns: On average, non-native species showed 24.8% positive, 31.8% negative, and 43.4% neutral responses to extreme weather events. Native species exhibited 12.7% positive, 20.5% negative, and 66.8% neutral responses. Non-native species surpassed native species in positive responses.
4. Native Vulnerability: Native terrestrial animals were harder hit by heatwaves, cold spells, and drought, while native freshwater species were vulnerable to most events except cold spells.
5. Caution on Study Bias: The researchers caution about biases in the study, as the majority of examined studies were from North America or Western Europe.

Month: Current Affairs - November, 2023

Category: Environment Current Affairs • Reports & Indexes Current Affairs