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

Scientists’ warning on invasive alien species

Pyšek, Petr ; Hulme, Philip E. ; Simberloff, Dan ; Bacher, Sven ; Blackburn, Tim M. ; Carlton, James T. ; Dawson, Wayne ; Essl, Franz ; Foxcroft, Llewellyn C. ; Genovesi, Piero ; Jeschke, Jonathan M. ; Kühn, Ingolf ; Liebhold, Andrew M. ; Mandrak, Nicholas E. ; Meyerson, Laura A. ; Pauchard, Aníbal ; Pergl, Jan ; Roy, Helen E. ; Seebens, Hanno ; Kleunen, Mark ; Vilà, Montserrat ; Wingfield, Michael J. ; Richardson, David M.

In: Biological Reviews, 2020, p. brv.12627

Biological invasions are a global consequence of an increasingly connected world and the rise in human population size. The numbers of invasive alien species – the subset of alien species that spread widely in areas where they are not native, affecting the environment or human livelihoods – are increasing. Synergies with other global changes are exacerbating current invasions and...

Université de Fribourg

Developing a framework of minimum standards for the risk assessment of alien species

Roy, Helen E. ; Rabitsch, Wolfgang ; Scalera, Riccardo ; Stewart, Alan ; Gallardo, Belinda ; Genovesi, Piero ; Essl, Franz ; Adriaens, Tim ; Bacher, Sven ; Booy, Olaf ; Branquart, Etienne ; Brunel, Sarah ; Copp, Gordon Howard ; Dean, Hannah ; D?hondt, Bram ; Josefsson, Melanie ; Kenis, Marc ; Kettunen, Marianne ; Linnamagi, Merike ; Lucy, Frances ; Martinou, Angeliki ; Moore, Niall ; Nentwig, Wolfgang ; Nieto, Ana ; Pergl, Jan ; Peyton, Jodey ; Roques, Alain ; Schindler, Stefan ; Schönrogge, Karsten ; Solarz, Wojciech ; Stebbing, Paul D. ; Trichkova, Teodora ; Vanderhoeven, Sonia ; Valkenburg, Johan van ; Zenetos, Argyro

In: Journal of Applied Ecology, 2018, vol. 55, no. 2, p. 526–538

Biological invasions are a threat to biodiversity, society and the economy. There is an urgent need to provide evidence-based assessments of the risks posed by invasive alien species (IAS) to prioritize action. Risk assessments underpin IAS policies in many ways: informing legislation; providing justification of restrictions in trade or consumer activities; prioritizing surveillance and rapid...

Université de Fribourg

A vision for global monitoring of biological invasions

Pyšek, Petr ; Jeschke, Jonathan M. ; Blackburn, Tim M. ; Bacher, Sven ; Capinha, César ; Costello, Mark J. ; Fernández, Miguel ; Gregory, Richard D. ; Hobern, Donald ; Hui, Cang ; Jetz, Walter ; Kumschick, Sabrina ; McGrannachan, Chris ; Pergl, Jan ; Roy, Helen E. ; Scalera, Riccardo ; Squires, Zoe E. ; R.U.Wilson, John ; Winter, Marten ; Genovesi, Piero ; McGeoch, Melodie A.

In: Biological Conservation, 2017, vol. 213, no. Part B, p. 295–308

Managing biological invasions relies on good global coverage of species distributions. Accurate information on alien species distributions, obtained from international policy and cross-border co-operation, is required to evaluate trans-boundary and trading partnership risks. However, a standardized approach for systematically monitoring alien species and tracking biological invasions is still...

Université de Fribourg

Socio-economic impact classification of alien taxa (SEICAT)

Bacher, Sven ; Blackburn, Tim M. ; Essl, Franz ; Genovesi, Piero ; Heikkilä, Jaakko ; Jeschke, Jonathan M. ; Jones, Glyn ; Keller, Reuben ; Kenis, Marc ; Kueffer, Christoph ; Martinou, Angeliki F. ; Nentwig, Wolfgang ; Pergl, Jan ; Pyšek, Petr ; Rabitsch, Wolfgang ; Richardson, David M. ; Roy, Helen E. ; Saul, Wolf-Christian ; Scalera, Riccardo ; Vilà, Montserrat ; Wilson, John R. U. ; Kumschick, Sabrina

In: Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 2017, p. -

Many alien taxa are known to cause socio-economic impacts by affecting the different constituents of human well-being (security; material and non-material assets; health; social, spiritual and cultural relations; freedom of choice and action). Attempts to quantify socio-economic impacts in monetary terms are unlikely to provide a useful basis for evaluating and comparing impacts of alien taxa...

Université de Fribourg

Assessing the ecological risk posed by a recently established invasive alien predator: Harmonia axyridis as a case study

Kenis, Marc ; Adriaens, Tim ; Brown, Peter M. J. ; Katsanis, Angelos ; Martin, Gilles San ; Branquart, Etienne ; Maes, Dirk ; Eschen, René ; Zindel, Renate ; Vlaenderen, Johan Van ; Babendreier, Dirk ; Roy, Helen E. ; Hautier, Louis ; Poland, Remy L.

In: BioControl, 2017, vol. 62, no. 3, p. 341–354

Invasive alien predators are a serious threat to biodiversity worldwide. However, there is no generic method for assessing which local species are most at risk following the invasion of a new predator. The harlequin ladybird, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), is an alien in Europe and many other parts of the world where it affects other species of ladybirds through...

Université de Fribourg

Scientific and normative foundations for the valuation of alien-species impacts: thirteen core principles

Essl, Franz ; Hulme, Philip E. ; Jeschke, Jonathan M. ; Keller, Reuben ; Pyšek, Petr ; Richardson, David M. ; Saul, Wolf-Christian ; Bacher, Sven ; Dullinger, Stefan ; Estévez, Rodrigo A. ; Kueffer, Christoph ; Roy, Helen E. ; Seebens, Hanno ; Rabitsch, Wolfgang

In: BioScience, 2017, vol. 67, no. 2, p. 166–178

Biological invasions cause many impacts that differ widely in how they are perceived. We argue that many conflicts in the valuation of the impacts of alien species are attributable to differences in the framing of the issue and implicit assumptions—such conflicts are often not acknowledged. We present 13 principles that can help guide valuation and therefore inform the management of alien...

Université de Fribourg

Troubling travellers: are ecologically harmful alien species associated with particular introduction pathways?

Pergl, Jan ; Pyšek, Petr ; Bacher, Sven ; Essl, Franz ; Genovesi, Piero ; Harrower, Colin A. ; Hulme, Philip E. ; Jeschke, Jonathan M. ; Kenis, Marc ; Kühn, Ingolf ; Perglová, Irena ; Rabitsch, Wolfgang ; Roques, Alain ; Roy, David B. ; Roy, Helen E. ; Vilà, Montserrat ; Winter, Marten ; Nentwig, Wolfgang

In: NeoBiota, 2017, vol. 32, p. 1–20

Prioritization of introduction pathways is seen as an important component of the management of biological invasions. We address whether established alien plants, mammals, freshwater fish and terrestrial invertebrates with known ecological impacts are associated with particular introduction pathways (release, escape, contaminant, stowaway, corridor and unaided). We used the information from...

Université de Fribourg

Crossing Frontiers in Tackling Pathways of Biological Invasions

Essl, Franz ; Bacher, Sven ; Blackburn, Tim M. ; Booy, Olaf ; Brundu, Giuseppe ; Brunel, Sarah ; Cardoso, Ana-Cristina ; Eschen, René ; Gallardo, Belinda ; Galil, Bella ; García-Berthou, Emili ; Genovesi, Piero ; Groom, Quentin ; Harrower, Colin ; Hulme, Philip E. ; Katsanevakis, Stelios ; Kenis, Marc ; Kühn, Ingolf ; Kumschick, Sabrina ; Martinou, Angeliki F. ; Nentwig, Wolfgang ; O'Flynn, Colette ; Pagad, Shyama ; Pergl, Jan ; Pyšek, Petr ; Rabitsch, Wolfgang ; Richardson, David M. ; Roques, Alain ; Roy, Helen E. ; Scalera, Riccardo ; Schindler, Stefan ; Seebens, Hanno ; Vanderhoeven, Sonia ; Vilà, Montserrat ; Wilson, John R. U.

In: BioScience, 2015, vol. 65, no. 8, p. 769–782

Substantial progress has been made in understanding how pathways underlie and mediate biological invasions. However, key features of their role in invasions remain poorly understood, available knowledge is widely scattered, and major frontiers in research and management are insufficiently characterized. We review the state of the art, highlight recent advances, identify pitfalls and constraints,...