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Scientific and societal unknowns make it difficult to predict how global environmental changes such as climate change and biological invasions will affect ecological systems. In the long term, these changes may have interacting effects and compound the uncertainty associated with each individual driver. Nonetheless, invasive species are likely to respond in ways that should be qualitatively predictable, and some of these responses will be distinct from those of native counterparts. We used the stages of invasion known as the \"invasion pathway\" to identify 5 nonexclusive consequences of climate change for invasive species: (1) altered transport and introduction mechanisms, (2) establishment of new invasive species, (3) altered impact of existing invasive species, (4) altered distribution of existing invasive species, and (5) altered effectiveness of control strategies. We then used these consequences to identify testable hypotheses about the responses of invasive species to climate change and provide suggestions for invasive-species management plans. The 5 consequences also emphasize the need for enhanced environmental monitoring and expanded coordination among entities involved in invasive-species management.

Invasive species pose a significant threat to biodiversity, particularly when local communities view them positively, presenting a key challenge for effective control. Acacia trees, native to Australia, have been introduced in various regions worldwide, including Chile. Our study focuses on the geographical distribution, perceptions, memories, and willingness to control Acacia species, especially dealbata and A. melanoxylon, in a basin in Central Chile. Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS images captured during the tree’s flowering season were employed to analyse the species’ distribution. We conducted an open survey with 81 participants to gauge the community’s perceptions and memories of these tree species. A binomial model was constructed, incorporating social and geographic variables, and analyses were conducted to assess the significance of memories. We found in the basin 613.200 hectares of Acacia , constituting 1.7% of the analysed basin . 59 sentences of expressing memories were analyzed; most of them were positive towards Acacia . 45.68% of interviewed believed that Acacia is a native tree, and 35.8% recognized it as a harmful species. Despite 72.84% considering Acacia a useful tree, 60.49% expressed a willingness to limit its expansion. Counterintuitively, the willingness to control the species was positively correlated with its use. The use of Acacia also proved positive interaction with the perception that it is expanding and is harmful. Younger and moderately educated participants exhibited more interest in controlling Acacia trees, and older participants when these variables interacted with their use. We interpret these results as an indication that individuals with greater knowledge of Acacia possess increased awareness of the importance of limiting its expansion. Furthermore, perceptions appear to transition from positive in childhood and youth to negative in adult life. We conclude that the current juncture is opportune for initiating Acacia control measures.

Aim: Biological invasions are a substantial threat to Antarctic biodiversity and a priority conservation policy focus for Antarctic Treaty Parties and the sovereign states of surrounding islands. Key to their strategies is prevention, including assessment of establishment risk for alien species. Despite establishment of some of the worst globally invasive species across the Antarctic region, assessments of establishment potential of these species are non-existent Here, we address this deficit and determine whether these invasive species constitute a significant conservation threat to the broader Antarctic region both now and in response to future regional climate change. Location: Antarctica and the Southern Ocean islands (45°-90° S). Methods: We used ensemble species distribution models to assess the current and future climate suitability of the Antarctic region for 69 of the worst globally invasive species and 24 insect and plant species that have already established somewhere in the region. Results: The Antarctic continent is unsuitable for all of the worst globally invasive species under current conditions, but areas of the Antarctic Peninsula are predicted to become climatically suitable for up to six globally invasive species within the next century. By contrast, all Southern Ocean islands are presently climatically suitable for additional non-native species, with the threat increasing in the future. Main conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that climate, which is often cited as a key barrier to alien species establishment, may afford some protection to continental Antarctica, but that this protection is not currently extended to the Southern Ocean islands. Furthermore, existing climatic barriers to alien species establishment will weaken as warming continues across the region. This not only illustrates the value of applying distribution modelling methods to this largely ice-covered region, but demonstrates how these methods can be used to inform targeted surveillance of introduction pathways and sites that have the highest risk of establishment of invasive alien species.

Non-native invasive species (NIS) release chemicals into the environment that are unique to the invaded communities, defined as novel chemicals. Novel chemicals impact competitors, soil microbial communities, mutualists, plant enemies, and soil nutrients differently than in the species’ native range. Ecological functions of novel chemicals and differences in functions between the native and non-native ranges of NIS are of immense interest to ecologists. Novel chemicals can mediate different ecological, physiological, and evolutionary mechanisms underlying invasion hypotheses. Interactions amongst the NIS and resident species including competitors, soil microbes, and plant enemies, as well as abiotic factors in the invaded community are linked to novel chemicals. However, we poorly understand how these interactions might enhance NIS performance. New empirical data and analyses of how novel chemicals act in the invaded community will fill major gaps in our understanding of the chemistry of biological invasions. A novel chemical-invasion mechanism framework shows how novel chemicals engender invasion mechanisms beyond plant–plant or plant–microorganism interactions.

Invasive alien species are a great threat to biodiversity and human livelihoods worldwide. The most effective way to limit their impacts and costs is to prevent their introduction into new areas. Identifying invaders and invasions before their occurrence would arguably be the most efficient strategy. Here, we provide a profiling method to predict which species—with which particular ecological characteristics—will invade, and where they could invade. We illustrate our approach with ants, which are among the most detrimental invasive species, as they are responsible for declines of numerous taxa, are involved in local extinctions, disturb ecosystem functioning, and impact multiple human activities. Based on statistical profiling of 1,002 ant species from an extensive trait database, we identify 13 native ant species with an ecological profile that matches that of known invasive ants. Even though they are not currently described as such, these species are likely to become the next global invaders. We couple these predictions with species distribution models to identify the regions most at risk from the invasion of these species: Florida and Central America, Brazil, Central Africa and Madagascar, Southeast Asia, Papua New Guinea Northeast Australia, and many islands worldwide. This framework, applicable to any other taxa, represents a remarkable opportunity to implement timely and specifically shaped proactive management strategies against biological invasions.

Invasive non-native species (invasive species, henceforth) across all taxonomic groups are spreading globally, with numbers projected to continue growing in the future. It is difficult for governments and managers to handle this issue when the identity of invasive species or the areas of occurrence of biological invasions are not known. Here, we provide an updated list of invasive animals, plants and algae in Brazil that is fully integrated and based on the same criteria and lexicon to define invasive species across all plant and animal taxa and habitats. We list 444 invasive non-native species: 254 animals, 188 plants and 2 algae. Some of the invasive species have been present in Brazil since the beginning of the European colonization in the 1500 s, but the majority of first records in Brazil were made in the last century, with copious first records after the year 2000. The list of invasive species presented here represents the most comprehensive attempt thus far to catalog all invasive non-native species at a continental-scale for a megadiverse country. Brazil has published a national strategy with the objective of improving mechanisms and partnerships for invasive non-native species prevention, early detection and rapid response. We believe that the current list of invasive species will provide technical and scientific support for the implementation of effective measures in the management of biological invasions.

There are thousands of case studies documenting invasive species’ impacts and these have led to the development of over 30 hypotheses that describe how invasions occur and their impacts manifest. The proliferation of invasion hypotheses over the decades has spurred several efforts to identify conceptual overlap and increase clarity of impact mechanism in the field. What is still lacking, however, is a comprehensive accounting of the evidence base on invasive species impacts, especially in regard to the biological scales, temporal scales, and taxonomic groups that receive research. Identifying the ‘known unknowns’ of empirical invasion impact research serves a critical function in the effort to evaluate support for existing hypotheses and generate novel hypotheses. We built a taxonomically and geographically comprehensive database of over 1500 research articles that report measures of invasive species’ ecological impacts published over the past 18 years (1999–2016). We found that, field-wide, published measures of invasive species’ impacts are highly skewed toward those measured at the population or community-level with scarce information on impacts at other biological scales (e.g., physiology, behavior). We also show that existing impact evidence stems most often from one-off studies of single invasive species. Yet, even for species that receive consistent attention, impacts have rarely been documented across more than one biological scale, beyond very short time periods, or in several ecosystems. In order to predict and anticipate how impacts manifest in a variety of temporal and biological contexts, the evidence base informing existing invasion hypotheses must become more integrative both within and across publications.

Prioritization is indispensable for the management of biological invasions, as recognized by the Convention on Biological Diversity, its current strategic plan, and specifically Aichi Target 9 that concerns invasive alien species. Here we provide an overview of the process, approaches and the data needs for prioritization for invasion policy and management, with the intention of informing and guiding efforts to address this target. Many prioritization schemes quantify impact and risk, from the pragmatic and action-focused to the data-demanding and science-based. Effective prioritization must consider not only invasive species and pathways (as mentioned in Aichi Target 9), but also which sites are most sensitive and susceptible to invasion (not made explicit in Aichi Target 9). Integrated prioritization across these foci may lead to future efficiencies in resource allocation for invasion management. Many countries face the challenge of prioritizing with little capacity and poor baseline data. We recommend a consultative, science-based process for prioritizing impacts based on species, pathways and sites, and outline the information needed by countries to achieve this. This should be integrated into a national process that incorporates a broad suite of social and economic criteria. Such a process is likely to be feasible for most countries.

1. Alien invasive species (AIS) are one of the major causes of biodiversity loss and global homogenization. Once an AIS becomes established, costs of control can be extremely high and complete eradication is not always achieved. The ability to detect a species at a low density greatly improves the success of eradication and decreases both the costs of control and the impact on ecosystems. 2. In this study, we compare the sensitivity of traditional field methods, based on auditory and visual encounter surveys, with an environmental DNA (eDNA) survey for the detection of the American bullfrog Rana catesbeiana = Lithobates catesbeianus, which is invasive in south-western France. 3. We demonstrate that the eDNA method is valuable for species detection and surpasses traditional amphibian survey methods in terms of sensitivity and sampling effort. The bullfrog was detected in 38 sites using the molecular method, compared with seven sites using the diurnal and nocturnal surveys, suggesting that traditional field surveys have strongly underestimated the distribution of the American bullfrog. 4. Synthesis and applications. The environmental DNA approach permits the early detection of alien invasive species (AIS), at very low densities and at any life stage, which is particularly important for the detection of rare and/or secretive aquatic species. This method can also be used to confirm the sensitivity of control operations and to better identify the distributions of vulnerable species, making this a very relevant tool for species inventory and management.

Biological invasions strongly increased during the last centuries and are challenging environmental managers worldwide. In this context, public acceptance of management measures is a key factor determining the long-term success of the control of invasive species. However, in the case of charismatic and iconic invasive species, the public has often been unwilling to accept strict management measures. Here, we studied the public perception of the Chinese windmill palm (Trachycarpus fortunei) in Switzerland, which is declared as invasive in southern Switzerland but also recognized as iconic. We conducted a nation-wide online survey in the multilingual and multicultural context of Switzerland, investigating the influence of social and cultural factors on the knowledge of, the attitude toward, and the willingness to control the invasive T. fortunei. Results confirm that the knowledge and perception of invasive plants have a strong social and cultural component and may vary greatly as a function of the cultural background, education level, age, and other social characteristics. Furthermore, information on the invasiveness of the focal species provided during the survey significantly affected informants’ perceptions, which are closely related to the acceptance of possible management and control measures. This allows us to highlight the importance of a holistic approach that includes targeted public information when dealing with biological invasions, especially in the case of charismatic and iconic species. Based on the obtained results, we suggest avenues for refining management and control strategies of T. fortunei in Switzerland, many of which generally applicable to other cases of invasive species.