What variables should be monitored to aid the management of invasive species? Applying the concept of essential biodiversity variables, a new study identified three essential variables for invasion monitoring; alien species occurrence, status and impact.
Invasion biology as a field has been plagued by the use of confusing terms and definitions. South African marine invasion biology has not been untouched by this peculiarity. While this may at first seems like an academic problem with little real-world relevance, the reality could not be further from the truth.
Alien plants are widely recognised as a global threat to biodiversity. Many invasive plant species have transformed the structure and functioning of ecosystems. Although hundreds of alien plant species are widespread invaders, there are no documented examples of native plants that have gone extinct solely as a result of alien plants...
Species have been moved around the world for many reasons and have led to the rise of biological invasions which are a major driver of ecological and social change globally. One such species, Prosopis (mesquite), has been introduced to over 100 countries globally, both accidently and purposefully to act as an agroforestry tree.
The insects are a group that has been underrepresented in the field of invasion biology, despite their impacts on agricultural production (e.g. fruit flies), ecosystem disruptions (e.g. ants) and vectors of disease that affect human health (e.g. mosquitoes). Further, much of the theory of invasion biology has come from work focused on plant and vertebrate invasions.
