Cold War Offered Odd Benefit – It Limited Species Invasions

For supporters of globalization, isolationism is usually thought to have negative consequences. But for Eastern Europe, cut off during the Cold War, such isolation had a positive impact on preventing environmental damage that can occur from the influx of invasive species – birds, in this case. A study conducted by scientists at Oregon State University found that Eastern Europe saw its non-introduced bird species decline from 11 to five over the period of the Cold War. The introduction of new species can often have unforeseen consequences including upsetting the balance of the food supply by creating additional demand. Interestingly, birds are rarely thought to be influenced by national borders, yet they will establish a population if brought to a new locale. Hence, Eastern Europe’s ecosystem was affected by trade policies that stemmed from the Cold War. But there was doubtless little thought by the major international actors of that period about the effect on the environment such policies might have. The implications of such a result are that with greater global integration through trade and migration, local ecosystems are likely to experience more frequent contact with outside forces, potentially upsetting a delicate balance. Even if legislation is enacted to prevent introduction of outside species, human influence will still play a role in the ecosystem, just as it did in Eastern Europe. – YaleGlobal