2015

2015 / News

C·I·B researcher analyse pathways of biological invasions

Invasions of alien species begin with the human-assisted movement of living individuals or propagules across biogeo­graphic barriers. As a result, the contributions of specific path­ways to introduction and subsequent invasion—and the changes in the importance of pathways over time—are receiving increasing attention from scientists and poli­cymakers.

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29 September 2015
2015 / News

Internet trade of invasive plants: a growing threat?

Prevention of the introduction of new invasive species to a country is considered to be an effective measure against biological invasions. The growth of online sellers, however, makes the regulation of plant introductions much more challenging - a new plant is only a few clicks away and can be bought very easily.

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18 September 2015
Read more about the article South African alien species databases – are they useful?
Indian peacock, Pavo cristatus
2015 / News

South African alien species databases – are they useful?

Information on how or why alien species arrive in a country can help prevent future introductions. Such information is usually stored in databases, and in many parts of the world, these databases are used for research and management.

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14 September 2015
Read more about the article Behaviour of species informs conservation strategies
2015 / News

Behaviour of species informs conservation strategies

Have you ever wondered why species are organised in such a way that species in one group interact more with each other, than with species in other groups?

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7 September 2015
Read more about the article Preying on alien species
The alien invasive Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus Galloprovincialis) was first recorded in the late 1970s and has now invaded more than 2000 km of the South African coastline. (Photo credit: Sophia Turner)
2015 / News

Preying on alien species

When we consider how invasive alien species affect native species, we mainly think of alien predators preying on native species. However, there are examples of native species that prey on alien species - which leads ecologists to the question “what are the effects of alien prey on predatory-prey relationships?”

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1 September 2015