Who we are

The C·I·B is an inter-institutional Centre of Excellence established in 2004 within the DSI-NRF Centres of Excellence Programme. Its members undertake research on the biodiversity consequences of biological invasions, largely through post-graduate student training. The principal aims of the Centre’s work are to reduce the rates and impacts of biological invasions by furthering scientific understanding and predictive capability, and by developing research capacity. Find out more about us.

Our Research

We investigate how biological diversity is altered by invasive plants and animals, and the effects these have on the functioning of ecosystems and the services they deliver.

For Students

In support of our vision, we train and guide students who are studying towards an Honours, Masters or Doctoral degree in biodiversity, environmental sociology or invasion biology.

Highlighted Papers

Retooling invasion science to deal with rapid global change

24 June 2021

Invasion science must adapt to meet growing societal demands and biosecurity challenges in the face of rapid global environmental change. This task was addressed at a workshop during the NEOBIOTA conference in Dún Laoghaire, Ireland, in September 2018 that was attended by several researchers affiliated with the Centre for Invasion Biology (C∙I∙B).

Addressing uncertainty in impact assessments for alien species

20 May 2021

Impact classification schemes for alien taxa are becoming more prominent as the threats posed by biological invasions increase. A recent study found that despite a high variety of uncertainties occurring in impact assessments, some of which cannot be eliminated easily, communicating their existence, cause and variety can lead to more useful and reliable outcomes of impact assessments.

The invasion continues: Alien species expected to increase by 36% until 2050

5 October 2020

Compared to the year 2005, the number of alien species is expected to increase by 36% by the middle of this century. The majority of these newcomers are insects. These are the results of a study by an international team of researchers led by Dr Hanno Seebens of the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center in Germany.

Scientists warn of increasing threats posed by invasive alien species

26 June 2020

Invasive alien species are one of the top five threats to biodiversity and ecosystems globally, yet only a handful of countries regard biosecurity measures as a priority.

Identifying invasion syndromes to improve our capacity of understanding and managing biological invasions

2 April 2020

For decades, invasion scientists have been trying to identify generalisations that can allow us to understand which species will become invasive in the future, where and how they will be introduced, which impacts they will have in the invaded areas, and how we can efficiently manage them.

Published Book

Plant Invasions: The Role of Biotic Interactions

The CABI-published book Plant Invasions: The Role of Biotic Interactions is the first to focus on the key role of species interactions in mediating invasions.

What is Invasion Biology?

Invasion biology is the study of both the species that become invasive in a system and their impacts on the system they have invaded, as well as the remediation of such invasions.