Invasive alien species are one of the top five threats to biodiversity and ecosystems globally, yet only a handful of countries regard biosecurity measures as a priority.
In an article recently published in Current Biology, an international team led by C·I·B Research Associate Jaco Le Roux suggest that care should be taken when conveying scientific data related to biodiversity impacts caused by climate change, as policy makers often make decisions based on scientific evidence.
With a changing climate it becomes even more important to understand how animals experience temperature on the ground. On a warm summer's day, air temperature sensors might reach 30°C or more, yet a lizard will feel the heat differently in its own environment.
A large diversity of animals can use behavioural thermoregulation, which is the selection of microhabitats such as shade and sun patches or changes in activity patterns within days or between seasons, to maintain preferred body temperatures.
Climate data are increasingly accessible and are being used to predict which species are most vulnerable to climate change. The available datasets often consist of monthly measurements or predictions for locations every dozens or hundreds of kilometres. Can such coarse data provide realistic vulnerability assessments for small organisms?