Year: 2019
Type: article
Abstract: Biological invasions are a defining feature of the Anthropocene, but the factors that determine the spatially uneven distribution of alien plant species are still poorly understood. Here, we present the first global analysis of the effects of biogeographic factors, the physical environment and socio-economy on the richness of naturalized and invasive alien plants. We used generalized linear mixed-effects models and variation partitioning to disentangle the relative importance of individual factors, and, more broadly, of biogeography, physical environment and socio-economy. As measures of the magnitude of permanent anthropogenic additions to the regional species pool and of species with negative environmental impacts, we calculated the relative richness of naturalized (= RRN) and invasive (= RRI) alien plant species numbers adjusted for the number of native species in 838 terrestrial regions. Socio-economic factors (per-capita gross domestic product (GDP), population density, proportion of agricultural land) were more important in explaining RRI (~50 % of the explained variation) than RRN (~40 %). Warm-temperate and (sub)tropical regions have higher RRN than tropical or cooler regions. We found that socio-economic pressures are more relevant for invasive than for naturalized species richness. The expectation that the southern hemisphere is more invaded than the northern hemisphere was confirmed only for RRN on islands, but not for mainland regions nor for RRI. On average, islands have ~6-fold RRN, and >3-fold RRI compared to mainland regions. Eighty-two islands (=26 % of all islands) harbour more naturalized alien than native plants. Our findings challenge the widely held expectation that socio-economic pressures are more relevant for plant naturalization than for invasive plants. To meet international biodiversity targets and halt the detrimental consequences of plant invasions, it is essential to disrupt the connection between socio-economic development and plant invasions by improving pathway management, early detection and rapid response.
Source: AoB Plants
Authors: Franz Essl, Wayne Dawson, Holger Kreft, Jan Pergl, Petr Pyšek, Mark Van Kleunen, Patrick Weigelt, Thomas Mang, Stefan Dullinger, Bernd Lenzner, Dietmar Moser, Noëlie Maurel, Hanno Seebens, Anke Stein, Ewald Weber, Cyrille Chatelain, Inderjit, Piero Genovesi, John Kartesz, Olga Morozova, Misako Nishino, Pauline M Nowak, Shyama Pagad, Wen-Sheng Shu, Marten Winter
Institutions: University of Vienna, Durham University, University of Göttingen, Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Botany, Charles University, Stellenbosch University, University of Konstanz, Taizhou University, Taizhou University, Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, University of Potsdam, Jardin Botanique de Genève, University of Delhi, International Union for Conservation of Nature (United Kingdom), Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale, The Biota of North America Program, Institute of Geography, Philipps University of Marburg, University of Auckland, Sun Yat-sen University, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research
Language: English
Subfield: Nature and Landscape Conservation
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Life on land
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $688
Awards: G1061035602, G174901022, G1924838304, G2750640484, G2977974405, G33836862, G4617990, G5447413902, G5632166549, G6063835160, G620873608, Globale Pflanzeninvasionen: von Grundlagendaten, zu Ursachen und Biodiversitätsänderungen, The Global Naturalized Alien Flora (GloNAF) database, The Global Naturalized Alien Flora database: patterns and drivers of plant invasions
OpenAlex ID: W2972134560