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Narrative Review | Ecology | Volume 15 Issue 4, April 2026 | Pages: 526 - 533 | India
Pollution and Biological Invasions: Two Synergistic Ecological Disruptors!
Abstract: Pollution and biological invasions are two driving forces of ecological disruption to occur though their combined effects are yet to be explored. This review emphasizes how the diverse pollutants viz. heavy metals, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, nutrient enrichment, microplastics, and anthropogenic noise interact with invasion dynamics to remodel ecosystems (Bian et al. 2026; Sousa et al. 2025; Kayode-Afolayan et al. 2022; Cole et al. 2011; Browne et al. 2008). Pollutants eradicate or weaken native species, reduce ecological resilience, and alters habitat in such a way which invasive species can only exploit due to their high phenotypic plasticity and adaptibility (Elliott 2003; Piola and Johnston 2008). Besides, invasive species alters pollutant cycling and various crucial ecological processes, generating control loops that aggravates the habitat deterioration (Camacho-Cervantes and Wong 2023; Alvarez-Aguilar et al. 2022). Many experimental evidences across terrestrial and aquatic systems illustrate how chemical contamination facilitates invasive dominance, eutrophication accelerates algal and macrophyte proliferation, and physical pollutants restructure communities (Crooks et al. 2011). These synergistic and cumulative effects destabilize food webs, reduce biodiversity, and disrupt biogeochemical cycles (Ruhi et al. 2019; Johnston et al. 2017; Ehrenfeld 2010). Traditional management practices which treat pollution and invasion as separate ecological degradative processes, fails to recognize other unintended consequences thus highlighting the need for integrated approaches that addresses both the disruptors simultaneously. So by framing pollution and invasion as two interlinked phenomena, this review advances a holistic approach on conservation of biodiversity and ecological presumption in this ongoing era.
Keywords: pollution and invasive species, ecosystem disruption, ecological resilience loss, biodiversity decline, pollutant interaction dynamics
How to Cite?: Barnali Sarkar, Goutam Kumar Saha, Gautam Aditya, "Pollution and Biological Invasions: Two Synergistic Ecological Disruptors!", Volume 15 Issue 4, April 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 526-533, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR26406050604, DOI: https://dx.dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR26406050604