It may no longer make economic or environmental sense to pursue forestry endeavours using conifers in the Western Cape. If local plantations are to be maintained, invasive pine trees will continue to spread, the Cape’s water supply will continue to dwindle and the unique natural diversity of the fynbos region will be changed forever.
Antarctica is regarded as one of the most pristine environments on Earth. There is, however, a growing concern that the icy continent is being threatened by alien species that are accidentally being brought to the continent in the luggage of tourists and scientists.
Much remains to be understood about why some introduced species become invasive whereas others do not. Recently, polyploidy (whole genome duplication) has been proposed as an important determinant of invasiveness in plants.
The poorly resolved taxonomy of many organisms represents a major obstacle to correctly identifying them as being either native or introduced. This is because several groups are only known to a handful of experts.
South Africa’s long and extensive trade activity has ensured ample opportunities for the introduction of non-native species. Whereas the rich biodiversity of endemic southern African fauna has been the focus of many studies, alien vertebrates are generally overlooked despite their potential negative impacts on biodiversity, human health and agriculture.
