Curbing the major and growing threats from invasive alien species is urgent and achievable
Helen E. Roy, Aníbal Pauchard, Peter Stoett, Tanara Renard Truong, Laura A. Meyerson, Sven Bacher, Bella S. Galil, Philip E. Hulme, T. Ikeda, Sankaran Kavileveettil, Mélodie A. McGeoch, Martín A. Núñez, Alejandro Ordóñez, Sebataolo Rahlao, Evangelina Schwindt, Hanno Seebens, A. W. Sheppard, Vigdis Vandvik, Alla Aleksanyan, Michael Ansong, Tom August, Ryan Blanchard, Ernesto Brugnoli, John Bukombe, Bridget Bwalya Umar, Chaeho Byun, Morelia Camacho‐Cervantes, Phillip Cassey, María L. Castillo, Franck Courchamp, Katharina Dehnen‐Schmutz, Rafael Dudeque Zenni, Chika Egawa, Franz Essl, George Fayvush, Romina Fernández, Miguel Fernández, Llewellyn C. Foxcroft, Piero Genovesi, Quentin Groom, Ana Isabel González, Aveliina Helm, Ileana Herrera, Ankila J. Hiremath, Patricia Howard, Cang Hui, Makihiko Ikegami, Emre Keskin, Asuka Koyama, Stanislav Ksenofontov, Bernd Lenzner, Tatsiana Lipinskaya, Julie L. Lockwood, Dongang Ceraphine Mangwa, Angeliki F. Martinou, Shana M. McDermott, Carolina L. Morales, Jana Müllerová, Ninad Avinash Mungi, Linus K. Munishi, Henn Ojaveer, Shyama Pagad, N. Pallewatta, L. Peacock, Esra Per, Jan Pergl, Cristina Preda, Petr Pyšek, Rajesh Kumar, Anthony Ricciardi, David M. Richardson, Sophie Riley, Betty J. Rono, Ellen Ryan‐Colton, Hanieh Saeedi, Bharat Babu Shrestha, Daniel Simberloff, Alifereti Tawake, Elena Tricarico, Sonia Vanderhoeven, Joana R. Vicente, Montserrat Vilà, Wycliffe Wanzala, Victoria Werenkraut, Olaf L. F. Weyl, John R. Wilson, Rafael de Oliveira Xavier, Sílvia Renate Ziller
Abstract
Although invasive alien species have long been recognized as a major threat to nature and people, until now there has been no comprehensive global review of the status, trends, drivers, impacts, management and governance challenges of biological invasions. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Thematic Assessment Report on Invasive Alien Species and Their Control (hereafter ‘IPBES invasive alien species assessment’) drew on more than 13,000 scientific publications and reports in 15 languages as well as Indigenous and local knowledge on all taxa, ecosystems and regions across the globe. Therefore, it provides unequivocal evidence of the major and growing threat of invasive alien species alongside ambitious but realistic approaches to manage biological invasions. The extent of the threat and impacts has been recognized by the 143 member states of IPBES who approved the summary for policymakers of this assessment. Here, the authors of the IPBES assessment outline the main findings of the IPBES invasive alien species assessment and highlight the urgency to act now. This Perspective highlights the global consensus on the urgency and growing threat of invasive alien species, and management needs, as found by the 2023 report on invasive alien species conducted by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).