Why is it in the news?
Scientific studies warn rapid Arctic warming increases risk of invasive alien plant species.
Changing climate is weakening the Arctic's natural ecological barriers.
Category: Environment
Important Points:
● 2,554 vascular plant species may find suitable niches in warming Arctic
● 341 alien taxa recorded; 188 naturalised
● Six invasion hotspots: western Alaska, Greenland (SW & SE), northern Iceland, Fennoscandia, Kanin–Pechora region
● Arctic tundra includes mosses, lichens, shrubs like bearberry
● Fauna: snowy owl, Arctic fox, grizzly bear, seals, walruses, belugas
● Invasive species introduced via transport-stowaway, seed contamination, vehicles
● In India, invasives include Lantana camara, Chromolaena odorata, Prosopis juliflora
● Spread across 266,954 sq km in India
● High-risk regions: Shivalik–Terai, Duar, Aravallis, Dandakaranya, Nilgiris
● Open ecosystems like dry grasslands and Ganga–Brahmaputra plains highly vulnerable