As many invasive non-native (or alien) species pose a global threat to human well-being and livelihoods, an international team of researchers, including C·I·B researchers and associates, have recently developed a new transparent ranking system for plants and animals...
Freshwater ecosystems are under threat from many stressors, including climate change, pollution, habitat destruction and the invasion of non-native species. These stressors can have direct impacts on individuals (e.g. survival, reproduction), populations (e.g. range, abundance) and communities (e.g. biodiversity, richness).
Non-native invasive insects have major impacts on ecosystem function, agricultural production and human health. To make better predictions of where such species may establish and invade, species distribution models (SDMs) are widely used tools to predict potential distributions and invasion extents across new geographical areas.
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.