Biological Invasions: Trends, Drivers, Impacts, Management, and Governance

Invasion science has matured rapidly into a vibrant interdisciplinary field addressing threats posed by biological invasions to people and nature. Nearly 40,000 species have established alien populations somewhere. For most taxonomic groups, numbers of alien species are increasing faster now than ever before, with introductions driven indirectly by economic development and human movement. Direct drivers (notably climate change and land- and sea-use change) facilitate alien species establishment and spread. Understanding the impacts of alien species has progressed from qualitative descriptions to structured quantification, culminating in the development of global frameworks. Negative impacts of invasive alien species on nature, ecosystem services, and people far outweigh their positive impacts. Many invasive species have been successfully controlled. While there is a notable invasion debt, the issue is tractable, but sustained resources are critical to achieve the coordination, contextual understanding, and outcome-based goal setting needed for Target 6 of the Global Biodiversity Framework.