Climate change is one of the top threats to vulnerable species around the world, driving widespread losses of plants and animals that can’t adapt fast enough. But at the same time, rising temperatures are in some cases opening the door for certain organisms that can thrive under these changes: invasive species.

From melting sea ice to longer growing seasons, global warming is unlocking new pathways for the spread and proliferation of certain non-native plants, animals, fungi and bacteria, according to a growing body of research. These new arrivals can wreak havoc on ecosystems and agricultural land, sometimes outcompeting native species and costing the global economy more than $400 billion in damages annually —including $21 billion in the United States alone, estimates suggest .

Despite

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