A unified classification of alien species based on the magnitude of their environmental impacts

Blackburn, Tim M.; Essl, Franz; Evans, Thomas; Hulme, Philip E.; Jeschke, Jonathan M.; Kühn, Ingolf; Kumschick, Sabrina; Marková, Zuzana; Mrugała, Agata; Nentwig, Wolfgang; Pergl, Jan; Pyšek, Petr; Rabitsch, Wolfgang; Ricciardi, Anthony; Richardson, David M.; Sendek, Agnieszka; Vilà, Montserrat; Wilson, John R. U.; Winte, Marten; Genovesi, Piero; Bacher, Sven

doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1001850

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Journal article

A unified classification of alien species based on the magnitude of their environmental impacts

Blackburn, Tim M. Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, United Kingdom
Essl, Franz Department of Conservation Biology, Vegetation and Landscape Ecology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Evans, Thomas Imperial College London, Ascot, Berkshire, United Kingdom
Hulme, Philip E. The Bio-Protection Research Centre, Lincoln University, Christchurch, New Zealand
Jeschke, Jonathan M. Technische Universität München, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Restoration Ecology, Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany
Kühn, Ingolf UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Community Ecology, Halle, Germany
Kumschick, Sabrina German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
Marková, Zuzana Institute of Botany, Department of Invasion Ecology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Průhonice, Czech Republic
Mrugała, Agata Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
Nentwig, Wolfgang Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
Pergl, Jan Institute of Botany, Department of Invasion Ecology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Průhonice, Czech Republic
Pyšek, Petr Institute of Botany, Department of Invasion Ecology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Průhonice, Czech Republic
Rabitsch, Wolfgang Environment Agency Austria, Department of Biodiversity and Nature Conservation, Vienna, Austria
Ricciardi, Anthony Redpath Museum, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Richardson, David M. German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
Sendek, Agnieszka UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Community Ecology, Halle, Germany
Vilà, Montserrat Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Seville, Spain
Wilson, John R. U. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, Claremont, South Africa
Winte, Marten UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Community Ecology, Halle, Germany
Genovesi, Piero ISPRA, Institute for Environmental Protection and Research and Chair IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group, Rome, Italy
Bacher, Sven Department of Biology, Unit Ecology & Evolution, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland

06.05.2014

Published in:

PLoS Biol. - 2014, vol. 12, no. 5, p. e1001850

English Species moved by human activities beyond the limits of their native geographic ranges into areas in which they do not naturally occur (termed aliens) can cause a broad range of significant changes to recipient ecosystems; however, their impacts vary greatly across species and the ecosystems into which they are introduced. There is therefore a critical need for a standardised method to evaluate, compare, and eventually predict the magnitudes of these different impacts. Here, we propose a straightforward system for classifying alien species according to the magnitude of their environmental impacts, based on the mechanisms of impact used to code species in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Global Invasive Species Database, which are presented here for the first time. The classification system uses five semi-quantitative scenarios describing impacts under each mechanism to assign species to different levels of impact—ranging from Minimal to Massive—with assignment corresponding to the highest level of deleterious impact associated with any of the mechanisms. The scheme also includes categories for species that are Not Evaluated, have No Alien Population, or are Data Deficient, and a method for assigning uncertainty to all the classifications. We show how this classification system is applicable at different levels of ecological complexity and different spatial and temporal scales, and embraces existing impact metrics. In fact, the scheme is analogous to the already widely adopted and accepted Red List approach to categorising extinction risk, and so could conceivably be readily integrated with existing practices and policies in many regions

Faculty

Faculté des sciences et de médecine

Department

Département de Biologie

Language