PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Alien invasion: Study reveals alarming economic costs of biological invasions to the European Union

Massive costs estimated to soar to more than €142.73 billion (US $150 billion) by 2040 in the absence of effective management

2023-07-13
(Press-News.org) Biological invasions are a major threat to ecosystems, biodiversity, and human well-being, resulting in ecosystem degradation and causing economic costs in the multi-trillions of euros globally. A study led by McGill University sheds light on the stark economic cost resulting from biological invasions in the European Union (EU).

The European Union continues to be exposed to thousands of invasive alien species — harmful species introduced by humans from outside of their natural habitat. The EU is particularly vulnerable because the region’s volume of economic activity via trade and the transportation of goods increases the risks of biological invasions, according to the study published in Environmental Sciences Europe.

Most invasive alien species are not adequately assessed for their actual and potential economic impacts therefore most cost estimates are grossly underestimated, say the researchers. To fill this gap, the team quantified the economic costs of biological invasions to the European Union, while estimating future invasion costs using predictive models.

Costs potentially 501% higher than previously recorded Their findings are alarming — of the approximately 13,000 invasive alien species known to have established populations in the European Union, only 259 (around 1%) have reported costs, showing substantial knowledge gaps in cost assessments regionally. The researchers’ models projected unreported costs to be potentially 501% higher than currently recorded, reaching a staggering €26.64 billion (US$28.0 billion) in the European Union, led by countries such as Lithuania, Malta, and Czech Republic.

The study's projections for future estimates revealed a substantial increase in costs, with estimates soaring to more than €142.73 billion (US$150 billion) by 2040 in the absence of effective management.

“Our study reveals a shocking underestimation of the economic costs of biological invasions in the European Union. These costs are not only a huge burden for the European Union’s economy, but also jeopardise the ecological balance and well-being of societies,” says lead author Morgane Henry, a PhD student under the supervision of McGill University Professor Brian Leung.

“It is imperative that we take immediate action to enhance cost reporting, identify the most concerning economic impacts, and work together on a global scale to address the threat posed by invasive alien species,” she adds.

The researchers warn that policymakers, scientists, and stakeholders should take heed of the implications of the study and collaborate to protect ecosystems, safeguard biodiversity, and ensure the well-being of communities. Otherwise, biological invasions will create an insurmountable financial burden unless the EU and its governments take swift action to address the devastating ecological impact that’s happening.

“The costs are potentially huge, but in most cases we just don’t know. Notably, our fivefold increase in cost estimates included only 1% of species with existing data, by extrapolating to other countries where they are known to have invaded, but where costs have not been estimated yet. We don’t know about the other 99% of the species”, says Professor Brian Leung of McGill University’s Department of Biology.

About the study

“Unveiling the hidden economic toll of biological invasions in the European Union” by Morgane Henry et al. was published in Environmental Sciences Europe.

END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Under representation of women in policing: Study reveals persistent barriers and gender differences in career advancement

2023-07-13
A new study published this week examines the under-representation of women in policing. It reveals that cultural and structural barriers persist and are impacting female career advancement when compared to that of male colleagues.   The research, carried out by the University of Portsmouth as part of Dr Jackie Alexander’s doctoral research, is based on unique survey and interview data with female and male senior police leaders in England and Wales. It highlights the challenges faced by women en route to a senior rank and the impact of gender differences ...

High-quality sleep promotes resilience to depression and anxiety

2023-07-13
Research has shown quality sleep can help bolster resilience to depression and anxiety. The study, led by researchers at the University of York, highlights that chronic stress is a major risk factor for a number of mental health disorders, including depression and pathological anxiety, but high-quality sleep and coping strategies - such as the ability to reframe a situation to see the positive side - can help to prevent poor mental health when faced with negative or stressful experiences. The research studied data from over 600 participants during the COVID-19 pandemic ...

Multicultural Psychology Consultation Team promotes culturally responsive care in hospital system

2023-07-13
July 13, 2023 — The synergistic epidemics of COVID-19, racial injustice, and health inequities have prompted patients and communities to press harder for culturally responsive health care. In Harvard Review of Psychiatry (HRP), published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer, members of the originating Multicultural Psychology Consultation Team (MPCT) describe how they're delivering culturally responsive mental health treatment while promoting inclusive health care workplace environments. The ...

The MemTrax Continuous Recognition Test for advanced cognitive impairment screening

The MemTrax Continuous Recognition Test for advanced cognitive impairment screening
2023-07-13
“[...] MemTrax quickly demonstrates and quantifies the pertinent memory dysfunction of Alzheimer’s disease.” BUFFALO, NY- July 13, 2023 – A new editorial paper was published in Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as "Aging (Albany NY)" and "Aging-US" by Web of Science) Volume 15, Issue 12, entitled, “Advancing screening for cognitive impairment: the memtrax continuous recognition test.” Extensive efforts to find a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) span over 40 years, with the often-repeated request ...

People with more empathy more likely to support international sharing of coronavirus vaccines, study shows

2023-07-13
People with more empathy and cosmopolitan beliefs are more likely to support the international sharing of coronavirus vaccines, a new study shows.  During the COVID-19 pandemic, many residents of high-income countries were eligible for COVID-19 vaccine boosters, while many residents of lower-income countries had not yet received a first dose.   Researchers analysed the levels and predictors of international vaccine solidarity through a survey of around 2,000 German adults in the autumn of 2021. They measured their ...

Central component of infection revealed in people living with HIV

Central component of infection revealed in people living with HIV
2023-07-13
Québec, July 13, 2023 – Professor Simona Stäger’s team has made a breakthrough in the study of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The researchers have identified the mechanism by which memory CD4+ T lymphocytes—cells that play a major role in our immune response—are predisposed to cell death in people living with HIV. The team’s findings have just been published in JCI Insight.   In this new study, Professor Stäger and her research team built on work done on mice infected with the Leishmania donovani parasite (published in Cell Reports in 2018), which described how a chronic inflammatory environment predisposes ...

Controlled cruelty: New study from VCU finds aggression can arise from successful self-control

2023-07-13
RICHMOND, Va. (July 13, 2023) — A new study by a Virginia Commonwealth University researcher has found that aggression is not always the product of poor self-control but, instead, often can be the product of successful self-control in order to inflict greater retribution. The new paper, “Aggression As Successful Self-Control,” by corresponding author David Chester, Ph.D., an associate professor of social psychology in the Department of Psychology at VCU’s College of Humanities and Sciences, was published by the journal Social and Personality Psychology Compass and uses meta-analysis to summarize evidence from dozens of existing ...

Successful cooperation depends on good mindreading abilities - study

2023-07-13
A person’s ‘mindreading ability’ can predict how well they are able to cooperate, even with people they have never met before. Researchers at the University of Birmingham found that people with strong mind reading abilities – the ability to understand and take the perspective of another person’s feelings and intentions– are more successful in cooperating to complete tasks than people with weaker mind reading abilities.  These qualities, also called ‘theory of mind’, are not necessarily related to intelligence and could be improved through training programmes to foster improved cooperation, for example in ...

Low-dose atropine eyedrops no better than placebo for slowing myopia progression

Low-dose atropine eyedrops no better than placebo for slowing myopia progression
2023-07-13
Use of low-dose atropine eyedrops (concentration 0.01%) was no better than placebo at slowing myopia (nearsightedness) progression and elongation of the eye among children treated for two years, according to a randomized controlled trial conducted by the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group (PEDIG) and funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI). The trial aimed to identify an effective way to manage this leading and increasingly common cause of refractive error, which can cause serious uncorrectable vision loss later in life. Results from the trial were published in JAMA Ophthalmology. Importantly, the findings contradict results from recent trials, primarily in East Asia, which ...

Low-dose atropine eye drops vs placebo for myopia control

2023-07-13
About The Study: In this randomized clinical trial of school-age children in the U.S. with low to moderate myopia (nearsightedness), atropine, 0.01%, eye drops administered nightly when compared with placebo did not slow myopia progression or axial elongation. These results do not support use of atropine, 0.01%, eye drops to slow myopia progression or axial elongation in U.S. children. Authors: Michael X. Repka, M.D., M.B.A., of the Wilmer Eye Institute in Baltimore, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Older teens who start vaping post-high school risk rapid progress to frequent use

Corpse flowers are threatened by spotty recordkeeping

Riding the AI wave toward rapid, precise ocean simulations

Are lifetimes of big appliances really shrinking?

Pink skies

Monkeys are world’s best yodellers - new research

Key differences between visual- and memory-led Alzheimer’s discovered

% weight loss targets in obesity management – is this the wrong objective?

An app can change how you see yourself at work

NYC speed cameras take six months to change driver behavior, effects vary by neighborhood, new study reveals

New research shows that propaganda is on the rise in China

Even the richest Americans face shorter lifespans than their European counterparts, study finds

Novel genes linked to rare childhood diarrhea

New computer model reveals how Bronze Age Scandinavians could have crossed the sea

Novel point-of-care technology delivers accurate HIV results in minutes

Researchers reveal key brain differences to explain why Ritalin helps improve focus in some more than others

Study finds nearly five-fold increase in hospitalizations for common cause of stroke

Study reveals how alcohol abuse damages cognition

Medicinal cannabis is linked to long-term benefits in health-related quality of life

Microplastics detected in cat placentas and fetuses during early pregnancy

Ancient amphibians as big as alligators died in mass mortality event in Triassic Wyoming

Scientists uncover the first clear evidence of air sacs in the fossilized bones of alvarezsaurian dinosaurs: the "hollow bones" which help modern day birds to fly

Alcohol makes male flies sexy

TB patients globally often incur "catastrophic costs" of up to $11,329 USD, despite many countries offering free treatment, with predominant drivers of cost being hospitalization and loss of income

Study links teen girls’ screen time to sleep disruptions and depression

Scientists unveil starfish-inspired wearable tech for heart monitoring

Footprints reveal prehistoric Scottish lagoons were stomping grounds for giant Jurassic dinosaurs

AI effectively predicts dementia risk in American Indian/Alaska Native elders

First guideline on newborn screening for cystic fibrosis calls for changes in practice to improve outcomes

Existing international law can help secure peace and security in outer space, study shows

[Press-News.org] Alien invasion: Study reveals alarming economic costs of biological invasions to the European Union
Massive costs estimated to soar to more than €142.73 billion (US $150 billion) by 2040 in the absence of effective management