Inspire4Nature fellow Kathrin Holenstein led a new article entitled Non-native species surrounding protected areas influence the community of non-native species within them, co-authored by William D. Simonson, Kevin G. Smith, Tim M. Blackburn and Anne Charpentier.
Protected areas (PAs) are a key element of global conservation strategies aiming to protect habitats and species from various threats such as non-natives species (NNS) with negative ecological impacts. Yet little is known about the mechanisms by which PAs are colonized by NNS, and more specifically the role of colonizing events from surrounding areas. They compared terrestrial and freshwater non-native plants and animals recorded in Norwegian PAs and in 5-km belts around them. Their results highlight the necessity of expanding the focus of NNS management in PAs beyond their boundaries, in particular to prevent incursions of NNS with high negative ecological impact.
Holenstein, K., Simonson, W.D., Smith, K.G., Blackburn, T.M., Charpentier, A. (2021) Non-native species surrounding protected areas influence the community of non-native species within them. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. Biogeography and Macroecology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2020.625137
(Figure from the article; no changes were made)