Invasive Non-Native Species 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 an alarming rate.
Classified as Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS), these unwanted invaders predominantly arrive as a consequence of international trade and tourism. Once established they quickly thrive, out-competing native plants for critical resources.
The financial impact of INNS in Scotland has been estimated at £200 million a year
Some INNS are more 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.
Scotland’s unique biodiversity is under threat
In Scotland, there are four plant species that pose the greatest threat: rhododendron, Japanese knotweed, giant hogweed and Himalayan balsam. Their vigorous growth rapidly breaks down our delicate ecosystems.
These invasive plants block out sunlight and strangle native species. This renders them unable to support the multitude of species which have evolved over millennia for our unique Scottish habitats.