Nathaniel Bloomfield and Professor Andrew Robinson. (2020, February 18). The wicked risks of biosecurity: Invasive species in Australia. Retrieved June 29, 2020, from https://phys.org/news/2020-02-wicked-biosecurity-invasive-species-australia.html
Invasive species are becoming more prominently a threat to the economy, lifestyle and welfare in Australia. Some examples of their invasive species are the cane toad, tramp ant, and the fall army worm which are difficult to manage and control. In this sense, biosecurity has come to be an important tool to consider in the management of invasive species. It is meant to stop these species from entering a country, to regulate them if they do arrive, and to eradicate their spread; however, there are threats and risks that come with using biosecurity, arising from the unpredictability of the species it seeks to prevent.
This article was interesting because it highlighted the necessity of some form of biosecurity, while also explaining how it can be improved to better benefit the welfare of Australians. Taking the tramp ant as an example, the article touched on the devastating effects of this invasive species– it would threaten farming, livestock, marsupials, native insects, and humans. The article alluded to a foundation of environmental science: the importance of the general public. It explained how the success of biosecurity is dependent on an informed public, simply because active surveillance is difficult in terms of its many expenses and lack of resources. I think this helps to show why being aware of invasive species in one’s environment (or just being aware of issues threatening the area you live in) can be a way of helping to manage invasive species. After all, the article was sure to point out that “an early report can make the difference between something becoming established or being eradicated.”
The Australians definitely know about invasive species. The Cane Toad story is unbelievable. Prevention is key- much easier than stopping the invasives after they have been introduced. They are pretty strict from what I hear for when people enter the country… and ships. With the Cane Toad they actually introduced them on purpose in order to eat a cane grub that was destroying their crops, which they now realize was a big mistake. Do you think there ever could be a reason to introduce a species on purpose? Nice job with the abstract and commentary Kari.
The Cane Toad is a great example. I think you raise an important question, and the tendency would probably be to say no; however, I think that the reintroduction of the wolves to Yellowstone in 1995 (as discussed in the flipped lecture) are a good counter to this. In this case, the wolves created a chain reaction– because of the interconnectivity of the food chain and the ecosystem– which helped to restore biodiversity. Thus, I think that the reintroduction of species could be necessary to restore biodiversity, though the potential consequences must be carefully considered before reintroduction.