SYMP 6-3 - Invasive species policy must embrace a changing climate

Tuesday, August 16, 2022

10:40 AM – 11:00 AM EDT

Location: 520F

Presenting Author(s)

BB

Bethany Bradley

Professor
University of Massachusetts Amherst, United States

Co-author(s)

EB

Evelyn M. Beaury

Postdoctoral Research Associate
Princeton University, United States
EF

Emily J. Fusco

Postdoctoral Fellow
Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Amherst, Massachusetts, United States
BL

Bianca E. Lopez

Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center, University of Massachusetts, Amherst,, United States

Background/Question/Methods
The most recent IPCC report illustrates the urgent need for climate change considerations to shape all future environmental policy. But existing environmental policies might be slow to respond to this challenge, creating a gap in how we incorporate climate change into practice. Invasive species threats continue to rise and interact with climate change - exacerbating negative impacts on ecosystems, agriculture, economies, and human health. Here, we build on past work suggesting ways to integrate invasive species and climate change policy by identifying actions that can be taken by scientists, managers, and the public to proactively reduce environmental harm. We synthesized recent literature, lessons learned from invasive species managers through workshops, and existing efforts to develop climate-smart invasive species management. We use this information to identify priority action areas as well as areas where U.S. state and Federal policy lags existing on-the-ground actions, slowing progress and deepening environmental harm.

Results/Conclusions
Incentivizing governments, NGOs, and individuals to be more proactive about climate-driven invasive species threats will create a win-win for conservation. One of the most prominent concerns of natural resource managers is the emergence of new invasive species as climate change leads to range expansion and/or facilitates population growth and impact of existing invaders. Finding ways to proactively reduce these new ecological threats is a priority. Key recommendations from practitioners include expanding opportunities for information sharing across borders, enabling proactive screening and regulation of high-risk species on the horizon, and incentivizing individual actions that reduce the likelihood of new invasive species introductions. Additionally, invasive species risk should be considered when crafting climate mitigation and adaptation policy to reduce compounding stressors on ecosystems. As we develop much-needed tools to reduce harm, environmental policy must consider the combined threats of invasive species and climate change.