India, April 24 -- Amid rising temperatures, erratic rainfall patterns, altered land and sea use, invasive alien species are quietly expanding their kingdoms, while humans play catch-up.

Amid it all, a 2024 study by scientists from Austria, Hungary, the US, Australia and Germany found that, on average, natural areas owned by indigenous peoples played host to 30% fewer invasives. (The study was published in the journal Nature Sustainability.)

"While we don't yet have complete information on why this is so, we do know that there is much to learn from traditional ecological knowledge and that we need to learn from and co-develop knowledge with Indigenous peoples for everyone's benefit," Laura Meyerson, professor of invasion science and hab...