[APWG] Effects of climate change on the distribution of invasive alien species in Canada: a knowledge synthesis of range change projections in a warming world

[Pamela Zevit]

Andrea L. Smith, Nina Hewitt, Nicole Klenk, Dawn R. Bazely, Norman Yan, Stepan Wood, Irene Henriques, James I. MacLellan, Carla
Lipsig-Mummé
Environmental Reviews, Published on the web 19 January 2012, 10.1139/a11-020

Abstract

The interactive effects of climate change and invasive alien species (IAS) pose serious threats to biodiversity, ecosystems and
human well-being worldwide. In particular, IAS are predicted to experience widespread changes in distribution in response to climate
change, with many expanding their ranges into new areas. However, the two drivers of global change are seldom considered together in
policy and management. We conducted a knowledge synthesis to assess the state of research on IAS range shifts under climate change
in Canada. We found that the study of IAS distribution changes caused by climate change is a relatively new field of inquiry that
integrates research in the areas of ecology, conservation biology, and environmental sciences. The multidisciplinary dimensions of
the issue are largely overlooked in the scholarly literature, with most studies having a purely natural science perspective. Very
little original research has occurred in the field to date; instead literature reviews are common. Research focuses on modeling
range changes of current IAS threats, rather than predicting potential future IAS threats. The most commonly studied IAS already
occur in Canada as native species that have spread beyond their range (e.g., lyme disease, mountain pine beetle, smallmouth bass) or
as established invaders (e.g., gypsy moth). All of these IAS are expected to expand northward with climate change, resulting in
widespread negative impacts on forest and freshwater biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and public health. Many barriers to
predicting IAS range change under climate change are identified in the literature, including the complexity of the issue, lack of
ecological data, and failure to integrate climate change – IAS interactions into research, policy, and management. Recommendations
for increased research and monitoring, and the need for policy and management reform predominate in the literature.
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1139/a11-020 (pdf)
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/full/10.1139/a11-020 (web full text)


Pamela Zevit, R.P. Bio 
Adamah Consultants 
Coquitlam BC Canada
604-939-0523 

adamah at telus.net
Re-connecting People & Nature