2020

Read more about the article New monitoring and reporting framework aims to reduce the impacts of invasive alien species in World Heritage Sites
The Kogelberg Nature Reserve in the Cape Floristic Region World Heritage Site (photo credit Ross Shackleton)
2020 / News

New monitoring and reporting framework aims to reduce the impacts of invasive alien species in World Heritage Sites

World Heritage Sites contain cultural and natural heritage of outstanding value to humanity. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has inscribed 1,121 sites worldwide, of which nine are in South Africa—including four natural sites: the Cape Floral Region Protected Areas; the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park; Vredefort Dome; and Barberton Makhonjwa Mountain Land.

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7 September 2020
Read more about the article All the better to eat you with
The Cape kurper (Sandelia capensis), endemic to rivers of the Western Cape, South Africa, is threatened by the introduced fish species. (Photo credit: Jeremy Shelton)
2020 / News

All the better to eat you with

The morphological traits of invasive largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) are more specialised for preying on fish than native species counterparts. This was the finding of a collaborative project involving researchers from the University of Wageningen in the Netherlands and C∙I∙B members from the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB) and Stellenbosch University.

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10 August 2020
Read more about the article Satellite solutions: Can remote sensing improve our understanding of alien plants distribution?
The occurrence of IAPs along river courses and surroundings near Napier town, in the Cape Agulhas (Photo credit: Bhongolethu Mtengwana, 2020).
2020 / News

Satellite solutions: Can remote sensing improve our understanding of alien plants distribution?

Invasive Alien Plants (IAPs) pose major threats to South Africa’s biodiversity, ecosystems and water resources. The availability of moderate resolution satellite data offers invasion scientists an opportunity to map and monitor the spread of IAPs, thanks to technological advances in satellite remote sensors.

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28 July 2020
Read more about the article How many invasive species can our ecosystems tolerate?
Mice are the most widely distributed vertebrate in the world due to historical shipping and trade patterns. The image shows a mouse hitchhiking on marine ropes (photo: James Russell). This is but one example of the many species that are introduced accidentally as a result of tourism. More work is needed to fully understand the role of different pathways in introducing non-native species and to find ways of managing these pathways to reduce the associated risks.
2020 / News

How many invasive species can our ecosystems tolerate?

An increase of 20 to 30 percent in the number of invasive alien species will lead to dramatic biodiversity loss worldwide. This is one conclusion of a study by an international team of researchers led by C·I·B associate Franz Essl that was published in the journal Global Change Biology.

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17 July 2020