Is there a way to predict which imported agricultural products are most likely to carry a pest? This question was tackled by former C∙I∙B student, Davina Saccaggi, in a recent paper in Ecological Applications.
The invasive plant sour fig (Carpobrotus edulis: also known as Hottentot-fig, ice plant, highway ice plant, or pigface) can have a clear impact reducing the abundance of native invertebrates, with substantial effects on herbivores.
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.
