Université de Fribourg

Improving the Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa (EICAT): a summary of revisions to the framework and guidelines

Volery, Lara ; Blackburn, Tim M. ; Bertolino, Sandro ; Evans, Thomas ; Genovesi, Piero ; Kumschick, Sabrina ; Roy, Helen E. ; Smith, Kevin G. ; Bacher, Sven

In: NeoBiota, 2020, vol. 62, p. 547–567

The Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa (EICAT) classifies the impacts caused by alien species in their introduced range in standardised terms across taxa and recipient environments. Impacts are classified into one of five levels of severity, from Minimal Concern to Massive, via one of 12 impact mechanisms. Here, we explain revisions based on an IUCN-wide consultation process...

Université de Fribourg

Appropriate uses of EICAT protocol, data and classifications

Kumschick, Sabrina ; Bacher, Sven ; Bertolino, Sandro ; Blackburn, Tim M. ; Evans, Thomas ; Roy, Helen E. ; Smith, Kevin

In: NeoBiota, 2020, vol. 62, p. 193–212

The Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa (EICAT) can be used to classify alien taxa according to the magnitude and type of their environmental impacts. The EICAT protocol, classifications of alien taxa using the protocol (EICAT classification) and the data underpinning classifications (EICAT data) are increasingly used by scientists and practitioners such as governments, NGOs...

Université de Fribourg

Application of the Socio-Economic Impact Classification for Alien Taxa (SEICAT) to a global assessment of alien bird impacts

Evans, Thomas ; Blackburn, Tim M. ; Jeschke, Jonathan M. ; Probert, Anna F. ; Bacher, Sven

In: NeoBiota, 2020, vol. 62, p. 123–142

We use a recently proposed framework, the Socio-Economic Impact Classification for Alien Taxa (SEICAT) to undertake the first global assessment of the impacts of alien birds on human well-being. A review of the published literature and online resources was undertaken to collate information on the reported socio-economic impacts of 415 bird species with self-sustaining alien populations...

Université de Fribourg

Comparing impacts of alien plants and animals in Europe using a standard scoring system

Kumschick, Sabrina ; Bacher, Sven ; Evans, Thomas ; Marková, Zuzana ; Pergl, Jan ; Pyšek, Petr ; Vaes-Petignat, Sibylle ; Veer, Gabriel van der ; Vilà, Montserrat ; Nentwig, Wolfgang

In: Journal of Applied Ecology, 2015, vol. 52, no. 3, p. 552–561

Alien species can change the recipient environment in various ways, and some of them cause considerable damage. Understanding such impacts is crucial to direct management actions. This study addresses the following questions: Is it possible to quantify impact across higher taxa in a comparative manner? Do impacts differ between taxonomic groups? How are environmental and socio-economic impacts...

Université de Fribourg

Ecological impacts of alien species: quantification, scope, caveats, and recommendations

Kumschick, Sabrina ; Gaertner, Mirijam ; Vilà, Montserrat ; Essl, Franz ; Jeschke, Jonathan M. ; Pyšek, Petr ; Ricciardi, Anthony ; Bacher, Sven ; Blackburn, Tim M. ; Dick, Jaimie T.A. ; Evans, Thomas ; Hulme, Philip E. ; Kühn, Ingolf ; Mrugała, Agata ; Pergl, Jan ; Rabitsch, Wolfgang ; Richardson, David M. ; Sendek, Agnieszka ; Winter, Marten

In: BioScience, 2015, vol. 65, no. 1, p. 55-63

Despite intensive research during the past decade on the effects of alien species, invasion science still lacks the capacity to accurately predict the impacts of those species and, therefore, to provide timely advice to managers on where limited resources should be allocated. This capacity has been limited partly by the context-dependent nature of ecological impacts, research highly skewed toward...

Université de Fribourg

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

In: PLoS Biol, 2014, vol. 12, no. 5, p. e1001850

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,...

Université de Fribourg

Defining the Impact of Non-Native Species

Jeschke, Jonathan M. ; Bacher, Sven ; Blackburn, Tim M. ; Dick, Jaimie T.A. ; Essl, Franz ; Evans, Thomas ; Gaertner, Mirijam ; Hulme, Philip E. ; Kühn, Ingolf ; MrugałA, Agata ; Pergl, Jan ; Pyšek, Petr ; Rabitsch, Wolfgang ; Ricciardi, Anthony ; Richardson, David M. ; Sendek, Agnieszka ; Vilà, Montserrat ; Winter, Marten ; Kumschick, Sabrina

In: Conservation Biology, 2014, p. -

Non-native species cause changes in the ecosystems to which they are introduced. These changes, or some of them, are usually termed impacts; they can be manifold and potentially damaging to ecosystems and biodiversity. However, the impacts of most non-native species are poorly understood, and a synthesis of available information is being hindered because authors often do not clearly define...