Think the Earth

Alien species such as raccoons from North America and poisonous red-back spiders from Southeast Asia that have been brought into Japan are increasingly wreaking havoc to the environment, crops, and people's health. In response to this, some institutes such as the Yokohama National University and the National Institute for Environmental Studies have decided to publish "forecasts on spatial distribution and range expansion of alien species," which will estimate when and to what region these alien species will spread. This will be launched this spring to help administrative bodies and residents to expel and prevent damage from such species.

They are currently considering 10 alien species including aforementioned two as the subject of such "forecasts". Among 2,000 alien species that have been brought into Japan as a result of human activities, species that cause the most damage will be prioritized. To calculate the forecasts, they will map the current spatial distribution of each species within a 1-10 kilometers radius, and then estimate and map the range expansion in a 10, 20-year time frame. These estimates will be published online. There are also plans to establish a cooperative structure with other research institutions or collaborators to obtain support for the project i.e. receiving images to help with the forecasting. "The forecasts should help augment the awareness of the citizens," says Fumito Koike, associate professor at Yokohama National University. He hopes that the forecasts will help prevent inconsiderate import of or release into the wild of such alien species.