Invasive species increasing at ‘unprecedented’ rates: What you need to know

Zebra mussels are spreading via rivers, lakes and bays, threatening waters all the way to the Pacific coast and Alaska [File: US Department of Agriculture via AP]

The number of invasive alien species is increasing at “unprecedented” rates, and more than 3,500 of these are harmful, causing biodiversity loss and threatening ecosystems around the world, a United Nations-backed report says.

The report by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), warned that the increase of invasive alien species and their negative impacts are likely to grow in the coming years and pose a serious threat to ecosystems, food security and livelihoods around the world.