Invasive alien species, or IAS – are animals or plants that are introduced into places outside their natural range, hugely impacting native biodiversity, ecosystems or human well-being. They are one of the biggest causes of biodiversity loss and species extinctions, and are also a global threat to food security.
Years ago, the the television botanist David Bellamy fronted a tv slot about the very invasive ‘Clematis vitalba’ – “With his impassioned enthusiasm and trademark beard, English naturalist David Bellamy made (a) well known 1989 community service message for the New Zealand Department of Conservation. “It’s a nasty, horrible plant and it’s smothering and killing New Zealand’s native bush, and that is a catastrophe … a trim is not enough — we’ve got to destroy it in every way we can — old man’s beard must go!”.
