Extreme weather events may be driving replacement of native species with exotic ones
- November 18, 2023
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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Extreme weather events may be driving replacement of native species with exotic ones
Subject : Environment
Section: Biodiversity
Context:
- Extreme weather events are affecting land, marine and freshwater ecosystems by influencing the displacement of native species with non-native ones, a recent analysis has found.
Key findings:
- The increasing frequency of extreme weather events such as heatwaves, cold waves, droughts and floods due to climate change is influencing ecosystems.
- Marine animals overall remained insensitive to extreme weather events, irrespective of whether they were native or non-native however, native molluscs, corals and anemones showed negative effects due to heatwaves.
- Heatwaves and storms affected non-native species in terrestrial and freshwater habitats.
Impact of extreme weather events on Native and non-native species:
Native Species | Non-native species |
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Why do non-native animals show less sensitivity to extreme weather events compared to native species belonging to the same taxonomic class?
- The non-native or invasive species have higher growth rates, higher phenotypic plasticity, stronger competitive abilities, quicker recovery and proliferation and broader tolerance of disturbance compared to the native species.
- Plasticity is the capacity of an individual organism to alter its behaviour, physiology/gene expression, and/or morphology in direct response to changing environmental conditions.
- Severe drought events deceased native invertebrates and fishes by increasing water salinity, facilitating the establishment of non-native salt-tolerant counterparts.
Source: Down To Earth