Invasions by non-native species have caused many extinctions and greatly modified many ecosystems and are among the major anthropogenic global changes transforming the earth. Beginning in the mid-1980s, a dramatic burst of research in invasion biology has revealed a plethora of previously unrecognized impacts and laid bare the scope of the phenomenon. Similarly, research on various methods of m...

Until now, nonnative plant species were rarely found at high elevations and latitudes. However, partly because of climate warming, biological invasions are now on the rise in these extremely cold environments. These plant invasions make it timely to undertake a thorough experimental assessment of what has previously been holding them back. This knowledge is key to developing efficient managemen...

The potential uses of molecular tools to address issues in invasion biology are reviewed, including the early detection of novel and cryptic non-native species, the identification of introduction pathways and vectors, the understanding of the drivers in successful invasions and the assessment of effective population sizes during the establishment of new populations. The usefulness of molecular ...

0196 From the Asian tiger mosquito in the American South, to the Eurasian zebra mussel in the Great Lakes, to European quackgrass throughout the United States, invasions of non-native species can disrupt ecosystems, cause havoc with local economies, and even threaten health. A new study shows that, at least for freshwater fishes, the major driver of successful invasion is human development, not...

Abstract Risk analyses for invasive species often assume that the characteristics of future invaders will resemble those already successful, but these features may change. Here, we use data from more than 3,500 fish sampling events, sequencing mitochondrial and nuclear genes several traits describing non‐native to describe irruption rapid expansion loaches in Catalonia, north‐east Iberian Penin...

Trade plays a key role in the spread of alien species and has arguably contributed to the recent enormous acceleration of biological invasions, thus homogenizing biotas worldwide. Combining data on 60-year trends of bilateral trade, as well as on biodiversity and climate, we modeled the global spread of plant species among 147 countries. The model results were compared with a recently compiled ...

Occupancy of new habitats through dispersion is a central process in nature. In particular, long-distance dispersal is involved in the spread of species and epidemics, although it has not been previously related with cancer invasion, a process that involves cell spreading to tissues far away from the primary tumour. Using simulations and real data we show that the early spread of cancer cells i...

Biological invasions dramatically affect the distribution, abundance and reproduction of many native species. Because of these ecological effects, exotic species can also influence the evolution of natives exposed to novel interactions with invaders. Evolutionary changes in natives in response to selection from exotics are usually overlooked, yet common responses include altered anti-predator d...

Combining DNA variation data and risk assessment procedures offers important diagnostic and monitoring tools for evaluating the relative success of exotic species invasions. Risk assessment may allow us to understand how the numbers of founding individuals, genetic variants, population sources, and introduction events affect successful establishment and spread. This is particularly important in...