Advancing the understanding of global plant invasions: building the bridge from data to drivers and biodiversity changes

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Mark van Kleunen
• Subject Area: Ecology and Biodiversity of Plants and Ecosystems
• Term: since 2015
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 264740629

Humans have deliberately and undeliberately introduced many species from their native regions into regions where they did not previously occur. Some of these species have become naturalized, and some of those have become invasive. However, only in the last couple of years, the global extent patterns and processes of such biological invasions have started to emerge. This has been possible through large-scale collaborative initiatives such as the Global Naturalized Alien Flora (GloNAF) database, funded by the DFG and FWF. The GloNAF database currently includes entries of 16,564 alien vascular plant species in 1388 regions. In this new follow-up proposal, we want to continue updating and expanding GloNAF. We will use the database to test how threat status and commonness in the native range relate to naturalization elsewhere. This will be done by combining GloNAF with the ThreatSearch database and with multiple datasets on changes in distributions of native species in different parts of Europe. Furthermore, by using resurveyed vegetation relevé data from the recently established ResurveyEurope initiative, we will assess small scale patterns and drivers of changes in alien and native plant species richness and composition in plant communities of Europe. By using the novel Global Alien Pathogenic Fungi database, we will analyze the interactions of plant invasions and alien pathogenic fungi. Finally, we will use species distribution modelling on all naturalized species with sufficient occurrence records in GBIF to quantify naturalization debts and the potential global ranges of alien species. These studies will further advance our understanding of local and global plant invasions and their impacts on biodiversity.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Austria
• Partner Organisation: Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung (FWF)
• Cooperation Partners: Professor Dr. Stefan Dullinger; Privatdozent Dr. Franz Essl; Dr. Bernd Lenzner; Dr. Dietmar Moser; Anna Schertler