Centre for Invasion Biology

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Reducing the rate and impacts of biological invasions

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Highlighted Papers

Focus on important research papers

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Promoted book

Plant Invasions: The Role of Biotic Interactions

The CABI-published book is the first to focus on the key role of species interactions in mediating invasions.

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Postdoc fellowship

Postdoc fellowship application

We seek motivated individuals, who have a keen interest and passion for linking theory and practice to advance practical sustainability-related initiatives

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We are the Centre for Invasion Biology

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.

Latest News

Volunteers in the management of invasive alien plants

2 August 2021

Volunteers play an important role in invasive alien plant species (IAPS) management and are likely to continue doing so into the future. Better co-ordination and engagement between volunteers and mandated authorities on science, policy and management are required to improve the volunteer groups and keep volunteers motivated to manage IAPS.

Diverse rat-bite fever agents found in invasive rats in South Africa

27 July 2021

A study by Dr Rolanda Julius (former C∙I∙B postgraduate student) and Prof Chris Chimimba (C∙I∙B Core Team member) has detected the presence of Rat-bite Fever agents in invasive species of brown rats, black rats and Asian house rats sampled in urban areas of Gauteng Province, South Africa.

Australian acacias are genetically highly diverse across the globe

19 July 2021

Australian acacias are some of the world’s worst invasive plants and their success has been heavily shaped through their usage by humans for various purposes. C·I·B research members Prof Jaco Le Roux, Prof Dave Richardson and Prof John Wilson, together with colleagues from the University of Lisbon, published a meta-analysis on the genetic diversity of 37 Australian Acacia species.

Legacies, hard boundaries and adaptation to temperature extremes explain the variation of temperature tolerance across the tree of life

12 July 2021

Ectothermic organisms rely on their surrounding conditions to maintain temperatures within a range that optimizes essential activities such as running, foraging and reproducing. Beyond this range, their performance or fitness decreases with a particularly fast loss of performance at high temperatures.

Neither tristylous flowers nor pollinators limit reproduction in a new invader: purple loosestrife

5 July 2021

A recent study, published in Biological Invasions, had a closer look at the role of flower structure and pollinators in the reproduction of a new invader in South Africa, called purple loosestrife.

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.

Anouncements

Call for applications: Postdoc fellowship

We seek motivated individuals, who have a keen interest and passion for linking theory and practice to advance practical sustainability-related initiatives, an interest and ability to integrate across the social and natural sciences, and who enjoy collaboration and working in teams.

Deadline: 15 August 2021

Latest Highlighted Paper

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).