Abstract
Th is chapter reviews the eff ects of alien terrestrial arthropods on the economy, society and environment in Europe. Many alien insect and mite species cause serious socio-economic hazards as pests of agriculture, horticulture, stored products and forestry. Th ey may also aff ect human or animal health. Surprisingly, there is relatively little information available on the exact yield and fi nancial losses due to alien agricultural and forestry pests in Europe, particularly at continental scale. Several alien species may have a positive impact on the economy, for example parasitoids and predators introduced for the biological control of important pests. Invasive alien arthropods can also cause environmental hazards. Th ey may aff ect native biodiversity through various mechanisms, including herbivory, predation, parasitism, competition for resource and space, or as vectors of diseases. Th ey can also aff ect ecosystem services and processes through cascading eff ects. However, these ecological impacts are poorly studied, particularly in Europe, where only a handful cases have been reported.
Highlights
Alien insects and other terrestrial arthropods are among the most numerous invaders worldwide
In Europe alone, the update of the DAISIE database (Roques et al 2009) which is presented in this book considers that 1590 terrestrial arthropod species of Copyright Marc Kenis, Manuela Branco
Alien arthropods impact the environment by affecting populations or communities of native species and by disturb natural ecosystem processes and services (Kenis et al 2009)
Summary
Alien insects and other terrestrial arthropods are among the most numerous invaders worldwide. Alien arthropods impact the environment by affecting populations or communities of native species and by disturb natural ecosystem processes and services (Kenis et al 2009). When building the list of alien organisms in Europe, experts were asked whether the organism had an economic or environmental impact in a particular country Their judgement provides valuable opinions, these have to be taken with caution because they were largely subjective and often unsupported by published references
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