INNS are responsible for 16% of global animal and plant extinctions
In Britain, non-native plants now outnumber native ones. Whilst only 10-15% of these species are invasive, those that are can take over entire habitats at a concerning rate.
Invasive plants block out sunlight and strangle native species, rendering them unable to support the multitude of species which have evolved over millennia for our unique Scottish habitats.
The financial impact of INNS in Scotland has been estimated at £200 million a year
As well as outcompeting native species, invasive plants can also be physically destructive, causing riverbank erosion, destabilising buildings and damaging access infrastructure.
Perhaps most concerningly, they can also have an adverse effect on human and animal health, impacting people, pets and livestock.
