This spreadsheet is the underlying data for the biodiversity indicator B6, Pressure from invasive species.
The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) identifies invasive non-native species as a major threat to biodiversity. Many non-native species do not threaten biodiversity but invasive non-native species can spread disease (e.g. signal crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus), modify ecosystems (e.g. rhododendron Rhododendron ponticum), drastically reduce populations of native species (e.g. American mink Mustela vison), or hybridise with native species (e.g. ruddy duck Oxyura jamaicensis).
Under the CBD, the United Kingdom has an international obligation to address the impacts of invasive non-native species. In 2008, the UK Government published the Invasive Non-native Species Framework Strategy for Great Britain.
The indicator (Figure B6i) shows the change in number of invasive non-native species established across more than 10 per cent of the land area of Great Britain, or more than 10 per cent of the extent of the coastline. There are 180 established invasive non-native species included within the indicator, comprising 39 freshwater species, 34 marine species and 107 terrestrial species.
This is one of a suite of 24 UK biodiversity indicators published by JNCC on behalf of Defra; the latest publication date was 19 January 2016 - for indicator B6 the latest data are for 2015. The supporting technical document details the methodology used to create the indicator.
