A study estimated that some of these animals and plants cost the country US$3 billion in damages
Sun coral which come from the Indian and Pacific Oceans, have been found along the Brazilian coast
ICMBIO
Fifteen years ago, visitors to the Dunes of Lagoa da Conceição Natural Municipal Park, in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina State, would find many pine trees (Pinus spp.) scattered across the sandy landscape. The scenery, although beautiful, posed an ecological problem: these trees, native to North America, are one of the main invasive and exotic species in Brazil. They spread easily and, in the restinga (a distinct type of coastal tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest in eastern Brazil), they consume a lot of water, affecting the soil’s properties and harming native vegetation, which does not adapt to their shade.
To address this issue, a program was established in 2010 where volunteers cut down the trees and now monitor the area, removing new saplings. “We have managed to remove almost 420,000 pines that invaded the park,” says biologist Michele Dechoum, a professor at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), and project coordinator. “We’re now working to raise awareness among the owners of surrounding properties where there are still pine trees whose seeds could infiltrate the park,” she adds. The program arose from the partnership between UFSC and the Horus Institute for Environmental Conservation and Development, a nongovernmental organization headquartered in the capital of Santa Catarina.
Despite its significant commercial value for wood and cellulose production, the pine tree can become a threat when not controlled within its growing area or if planted without planning. It is just one of the 476 invasive and exotic species identified in Brazil—268 animals and 208 plants and algae (see infographic)—according to the report released at the beginning of March by the Brazilian Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (BPBES). Many of these species have economic value and have been introduced for animal husbandry, forestry, aquaculture, through the illegal pet trade, or the ornamental plant market. There are even those that arrived here accidentally.
Alexandre Affonso / Revista Pesquisa FAPESP
The damage is not merely environmental. According to the BPBES report, a group of 16 species caused damages of up to US$105 billion to the Brazilian economy between 1984 and 2019, an average of US$3 billion per year in industries such as agriculture, commercial logging, and healthcare. A summary for decision-makers was released along with the report.
The proliferation of invasive species is one of the five main causes of biodiversity loss in the country, but this problem is not as widely discussed as factors such as climate change, habitat loss, pollution, and the improper exploitation of natural resources. According to the document, the trend shows that invasions will increase by 20% to 30% by the end of the century. “We still do not have an official national list of invasive and exotic species. We’re trying to help fill this gap and formulate public policies,” says Dechoum, one of the survey’s coordinators. The report was prepared by 100 researchers, including authors, collaborators, and reviewers from research institutions, public agencies, and the third sector.
Sílvia ZillerThe dangerous lionfish which come from the Indian and Pacific Oceans, have been found along the Brazilian coastSílvia Ziller
Many of the species listed are already incorporated into Brazilians’ daily lives. They include ornamental plants that adorn gardens; trees that shade streets, such as Australian acacias (Acacia mangium and A. auriculiformis) and jackfruit trees; as well as animals found on Brazilian menus, such as tilapia, which can escape from farms and become dominant in lakes and lagoons, and peacock bass. Domesticated animals, such as cats and dogs, are also on the list—when abandoned or left alone, even when they have owners, they can become predators in urban parks and forests. Any species found outside of its natural distribution area and that proliferates easily to the point of harming the survival of native species is considered invasive.
The golden muscle (Limnoperna fortunei), for example, a mollusk native to China, arrived in Brazil aboard the ballasts of ships and now invades hydroelectric dams, water treatment stations, and aquaculture farms, causing economic damages. The species known as sun coral (Tubastraea coccinea and T. tagusensis) are one of the main problems in marine ecosystems. Originally from the Pacific Ocean, they settle on reefs and rocky shores and have a high invasion potential: their growth rates are three to four times higher than those of native Brazilian corals. They have already spread over 3,000 kilometers (km) between the coasts of Santa Catarina and Ceará, transported primarily by oil and gas platforms, which are more susceptible to biofouling.
Alexandre Affonso / Revista Pesquisa FAPESP
Not even the protected areas are exempt: nearly 30% of the country’s Conservation Units have recorded invasive species, most of which are located in the Atlantic Rainforest. “Nowhere is immune, but degraded areas or areas with high levels of human activity, farmland, dams, reservoirs, ports, and canals have many more exotic species than conserved ones,” notes biologist Andrea Junqueira, of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), one of the report’s coordinators.
In the Brazilian report, researchers were able to consolidate impact studies on 239 of the 476 invasive species identified in Brazil and concluded that they cause over 1,000 negative impacts and only 33 positive impacts. The species that caused the most problems were introduced intentionally, often linked to some economic activity.
Although the spread of these species is considered a crime, there are cases in which they escape into the environment as a result of negligence. The giant African snail (Lissachatina fulica) was brought to Brazil to be farmed and marketed as escargot (edible snail), but, with little demand, it was released into the environment and spread throughout the country. They act as a host to parasites that are harmful to humans and domesticated animals, they compete for food with native mollusks, and they eliminate plant shoots.
Sílvia ZillerOriginally from North America, the pine trees easily spread and harm native vegetationSílvia Ziller
Biologist Mário Orsi, of the State University of Londrina (UEL), notes that the main problem faced by Brazilian ecosystems is escaping and released freshwater fish. According to him, in addition to tilapia, the current concern is the iridescent shark (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus), a fish similar to the catfish. Originally from Asia, where it is farmed as food, it can reach up to 35 kilograms (kg) and has the potential to dominate the environment in which it is introduced. “Many municipalities are legalizing their farming in public waters, in net pens, which are systems that have several reported cases of escapes, as is also the case with tilapia,” he says. According to Orsi, the most ideal option would be to keep these invasive and exotic species in tanks dug into the ground or in more technologically sophisticated systems isolated from watercourses.
Since the introduction of many of these species is linked to production systems, the researchers warn that preventive actions, management proposals, and environmental zoning need to be established during site licensing procedures. To this end, Junqueira, of the UFRJ, points out that Brazil already has subsidies and legal regulations regarding the issue of exotic and invasive species, including at state and municipal levels.
“Our biggest challenge is creating prevention, monitoring, and early detection systems,” notes Dechoum. Detection and action time also depend on the type of species. The lionfish (Pterois volitans), for example, of Indo-Asian origin, which has a high capacity to prey on native species, arrived in Brazil in 2020 from the Caribbean. In three years, it spread across more than 2,700 km of Brazilian coastline. Understanding how species behave in similar environments can help with an early action plan. According to the researchers, it is also essential to invest in training municipal and state administration personnel to know how to properly manage these species.
Beloni MartererThe golden muscle, native to China, harms hydroelectric dams, water treatment stations, and aquaculture farmsBeloni Marterer
Another important action is explaining alternatives to replace invasive species in industries with productive value. In February, an illustrated guide called AlterNativas was released with the aim of helping landscapers and other professionals in the field to recognize 37 exotic plants on the coast of Santa Catarina and replace them with one of the 93 plants native to the region. Along these lines, botanist Daniela Zappi, of the University of Brasília (UnB), prepared a list of 49 species of trees native to the Amazon that could reinforce urban afforestation in the region, where it is common to see many exotic species such as the rosy trumpet tree (Tabebuia rosea) and the mango tree (Mangifera indica).
Another measure is to make documents summarizing scientific evidence available to policymakers. “Having a summary for decision-makers can help shed light on the silent degradation,” says biologist Isabel Belloni Schmidt, of the UnB, who did not participate in preparing the report. “The impression that if there’s a landscape full of greenery, everything is fine, is not always true. There are seemingly well-preserved places whose biodiversity is being destroyed,” she concludes.
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