Quantifying global colonization pressures of alien vertebrates from wildlife trade

Yiming Li (), Tim M. Blackburn, Zexu Luo, Tianjian Song, Freyja Watters, Wenhao Li, Teng Deng, Zhenhua Luo, Yuanyi Li, Jiacong Du, Meiling Niu, Jun Zhang, Jinyu Zhang, Jiaxue Yang and Siqi Wang
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Yiming Li: Hebei University
Tim M. Blackburn: University College London
Zexu Luo: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Tianjian Song: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Freyja Watters: University of Adelaide
Wenhao Li: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Teng Deng: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Zhenhua Luo: Central China Normal University
Yuanyi Li: Hebei University
Jiacong Du: Hebei University
Meiling Niu: Hebei University
Jun Zhang: Hebei University
Jinyu Zhang: Hebei University
Jiaxue Yang: Hebei University
Siqi Wang: Chinese Academy of Sciences

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract The global trade in live wildlife elevates the risk of biological invasions by increasing colonization pressure (the number of alien species introduced to an area). Yet, our understanding of species traded as aliens remains limited. We created a comprehensive global database on live terrestrial vertebrate trade and use it to investigate the number of traded alien species, and correlates of establishment richness for aliens. We identify 7,780 species involved in this trade globally. Approximately 85.7% of these species are traded as aliens, and 12.2% of aliens establish populations. Countries with greater trading power, higher incomes, and larger human populations import more alien species. These countries, along with island nations, emerge as hotspots for establishment richness of aliens. Colonization pressure and insularity consistently promote establishment richness across countries, while socio-economic factors impact specific taxa. Governments must prioritize policies to mitigate the release or escape of traded animals and protect global biosecurity.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43754-6

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