Core team member: Dave Richardson
Project Background
As hubs of human activity, urban areas experience a greater influx of non-native species introductions (accidental and intentional) than rural or natural areas (Rebele 1994). Human activities (e.g., increased disturbance, resource supplementation, and transport networks etc.) provide many opportunities for non-native species to establish, proliferate, and spread, thereby
facilitating invasions within the urban matrix and into natural areas within and surrounding towns and cities (Cadotte et al. 2017; Potgieter and Cadotte 2020).
Despite the plethora of research on non-native plants, we know surprisingly little about their distribution in urban and surrounding areas compared to natural areas.
This project will use citizen science data (notably iNaturalist observations but potentially data from other sources as well).
Key Contacts
Dave Richardson
Email: rich@sun.ac.za