MONET 2030: Invasive alien species

SDG 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

Goal description

« […] Deforestation and desertification – caused by human activities and climate change – pose major challenges to sustainable development. […] »

Excerpt from Swiss target 15.8: Biological diversity as well as ecosystem services are restored and preserved. Their sustainable and site-appropriate use is encouraged. People and environment are under no threat from invasive alien species. Their spread is controlled and new introductions are prevented.

Significance of the indicator
The indicator shows the number of invasive alien species known in Switzerland. They can harm ecosystems and can contribute to the decline in biodiversity. A reduction in their number, therefore, is a step towards sustainable development.

Help for interpretation
The number of known invasive alien species depends in particular on the effort made with regard to observations.

International comparability
Other countries (e.g. Germany, Norway) keep lists of invasive species from different taxonomic groups. Standardised classification criteria have not been defined up to now, hence the comparability of the lists is limited.

Synthesis

The indicator shows the cumulative number of known invasive alien plant, animal and fungal species (according to the date of the first record in Switzerland). Invasive alien species are non-native species, introduced intentionally or not, which take hold and spread into new habitats, thus harming native species and ecosystems. Data come from the Swiss information centre on species (InfoSpecies). They are based on detection reports and are not recorded systematically.

InfoSpecies – Swiss information centre on species (available only in German, French and Italian)

Swiss target 15.8: Biological diversity as well as ecosystem services are restored and preserved. Their sustainable and site-appropriate use is encouraged. People and environment are under no threat from invasive alien species. Their spread is controlled and new introductions are prevented.

International target 15.8: By 2020, introduce measures to prevent the introduction and significantly reduce the impact of invasive alien species on land and water ecosystems and control or eradicate the priority species.