It is not just plants that are a problem. In Hawaii, introduced mosquitoes have successfully spread avian malaria, devastating the native bird populations in many lowland areas. The fact that the world is undergoing big changes in land use, fire regimes, atmospheric composition and climate can affect the balance between introduced and native species. There is no doubt that human activities can benefit invaders. Added to this is the huge volume of global commerce and transport, and the deliberate movement of crops, livestock, pets and ornamental species.
Invasion is a global issue, but one with important local impacts.
Money Invasions are also expensive. The irony here is that the cost would be considerably less if action were taken before the problem became excessive. Total eradication is feasible during the slow lag phase. Sleeping giants Because the lag phase can be decades, it's considered likely that in Australia we have many species that are waiting before they break out into a problem. These 'sleeping giants' will be expensive to control in the future, unless we take action now.