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opencc-by-4.0Aug 2024View details →

First spectral Reflectance Dataset of Equisetum hyemale (Snake grass) Invasive Alien Plant

This repository contains the first spectral reflectance dataset of snakegrass (Equisetum hyemale) invasive alien species recorded in South Africa. Spectral reflectance measurements were collected under lab conditions using the Spectral Evolution PSR-300 full-range spectrometer. Spectral pre-processing was performed in R statistical software to remove noisy spectra and regions and perform averaging per sample (code accessible: https://github.com/mkganyago/SpectralEvolutionFileReader).

opencc-zeroMar 2023View details →

Belgian baseline distribution of invasive alien species of Union concern (Regulation (EU) 1143/2014)

Aims and scope The European Alien Species Information Network team (EASIN, http://easin.jrc.ec.europa.eu) of the Joint Research Centre (JRC) requests the European member states to provide and verify the baseline distribution data of invasive alien species of Union Concern (Tsiamis et al. 2017) as provided by the EASIN mapping system (Katsanevakis et al. 2012). These are species with documented biodiversity impacts sensu the European Union Regulation on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of Invasive Alien Species in Europe (IAS Regulation No 1143/2014) (European Union 2014). The purpose of this baseline is to set a representative geographic account of the distribution of these species at (i) country and (ii) 10km2 grid level before the entry into force of the Regulation (and the listing of species through implementing regulations). This distribution provides the baseline for subsequent reporting by the member states as required by the IAS Regulation. The dataset provides a shapefile on the baseline distribution of the invasive species of EU concern in Belgium based on an aggregated dataset (ias_belgium_t0_xxxx). Data were compiled from various datasets holding invasive species observations such as data from research institutes and research projects (76%), citizen science observatories (23%) and a range of other sources (1%) such as governmental agencies, water managers, invasive species control companies, angling and hunting organizations etc. Data were normalized using a custom mapping of the original data files to Darwin Core (Wieczorek et al. 2012) where possible. Species names were mapped to the GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (GBIF 2016) using the species API (http://www.gbif.org/developer/species). Appropriate selection of records was performed based on predefined cut-off dates (see data range) and record content validation (see validation procedure). Data were then joined with GRID10k layer Belgium based on GRID10k cellcodes (ETRS_1989_LAEA). File description The dataset contains two types of data: <ol> <li> Shapefiles (ias_belgium_t0_2016.zip, ias_belgium_t0_2018.zip, ias_belgium_t0_2020.zip and ias_belgium_t0_2023.zip) providing the presence of the species of EU concern at 10km2 (European Terrestrial Reference System projection - 1989 ETRS_1989_LAEA) level (resp. for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th batch of species added to the Union List). The attributes table field “ACCEPTED” provides coded information on the distribution validation: correct squares (Y) represent data overlapping between the collated baseline data for Belgium and the EASIN maps. Incorrect data (N) can represent records mapped on wrong 10km2 squares, non-validated records or records that fall outside of the date range applied. New squares (New) represent previously unpublished data that were absent from EASIN. The work was supervised and validated by the Belgian national scientific council on invasive alien species, an official consultative structure coordinating scientific input and data aggregation between Belgian regions and institutions with regards to technical implementation of the Regulation No 1143/2014 on invasive alien species. </li> <li> A geojson version of the same shapefiles (ias_belgium_t0_2016.geojson, ias_belgium_t0_2018.geojson, ias_belgium_t0_2020.geojson, ias_belgium_t0_2023.geojson), in WGS84 projection. </li> </ol> Date range The baseline distribution reflects the current status and situation of the IAS of Union concern in Belgium at 10km2 grid level. Historical records were not taken into consideration for the baseline. The choice of cut-off date was based on an analysis of the relative contribution of a year in defining the total distribution of the species at 1km2 grid level (calculated as [the sum of unique UTM 1km2 grid squares year-1/total number of unique UTM  1km2 grid squares for that species]) based on the complete dataset.  The dataset comprises observations of Union List invasive species from 2000 until the entry into force for every species, hence between January 2000 (2000-01-01) and February 2016 (2016-01-31) for the species of the first batch (ias_belgium_t0_2016.zip), between January 2000 (2000-01-01) and August 2017 (2017-08-31) for the species of the first update of the Union List (ias_belgium_t0_2018.zip), between January 2000 (2000-01-01) and August 2019 (2019-08-31) for the species of the second update of the Union List (ias_belgium_t0_2020.zip), between January 2000 (2000-01-01) and August 2022 (2022-08-2) for the species of the third update (ias_belgium_t0_2023.zip). For raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides), included in the second update (ias_belgium_t0_2020.zip) the date cut-off is 01/01/2000 to 31/01/2019. Note that Pistia stratiotes, Xenopus laevis and Fundulus heteroclitus enter into force only as from 2 August 2024, Celastrus orbiculatus on 2 August 2027 because of prolonged transitionary measures. However, these species are already included in the baseline now with a cut-off date set on August 2022. The data include both casual records as well as established populations and also comprise data from eradicated populations for the period 2000-2022. Validation procedure Record validation was performed to exclude dubious records, wrong identifications etc. This was done based on the IdentificationVerificationStatus field (to which validation information from original data were mapped) if available. In general, non-validated data were not considered for ias_belgium_t0_xxxx. Data were validated in the original datasets based on evidence (e.g. pictures), on the observer’s experience, or based on a set of predefined rules (e.g. automated validation based on geographic filtering). Data from research institutes were generally considered validated. A few casual records of EU list species that were clearly planted were discarded manually. When the original dataset did not mention any validation status, records were not considered validated and therefore not taken into account for ias_belgium_t0_xxxx, unless for Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis, ruddy duck Oxyura jamaicensis, raccoon Procyon lotor, Siberian ground squirrel Tamias sibiricus, sacred ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus, and red-eared slider Trachemys spp. For these species, we assumed all records were correct as they originate from dedicated sampling (E. sinensis) within research projects or represent species that are readily recognizable by people in the field. Likewise, for the second batch species, all records of Egyptian goose Alopochen aegyptiaca, Himalayan balsam Impatiens glandulifera, giant hogweed Heracleum mantegazzianum and muskrat Ondatra zibethicus (mostly derived from public eradication services) were considered validated and taken into account. For the third batch species, records of the widespread tree of heaven Ailanthus altissima and pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus were also considered validated. For species with less than 10 records (Salvinia molesta, Acridotheres tristis), every record was manually checked. A visual check was performed on the resulting distribution maps by representatives of the Belgian scientific council on IAS and the Belgian Comittee on IAS, two official bodies created in response to the EU Regulation within the framework of a cooperation agreement between the Belgian regions and the Federal Authority. Data in the distribution maps provided by EASIN but not present in ias_belgium_t0_xxxx were carefully checked and kept/rejected accordingly. Data providers The providers of the invasive species data for this exercise (individuals and their respective organizations) are listed in the "data providers" section of the dataset metadata. Much of the primary occurrence data that formed the basis for this aggregated dataset will be published as open data on the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) within the framework of the Tracking Invasive Alien Species project (TrIAS, https://osf.io/7dpgr/, 2017-2020).

opencc-zeroJun 2023View details →

A mapping of keywords from published papers on alien squirrels to biological invasion research themes

Context This dataset was used to produce the worldl and the graphs in the editorial to the research topic <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/29270/ecology-impact-and-management-of-squirrel-invasions">Ecology, impact and management of squirrel invasions</a> (La Morgia et al. 2023). Contents of the dataset The dataset contains the keywords of papers since 2000 harvested with a Web of Science search (performed on 29/05/2023) using the advanced search string TS=(invasive squirrel) OR TI=(invasive squirrel) OR AB=(invasive squirrel). We screened the search results, excluding papers irrelevant to alien squirrels, for example, papers on computer science or physiology, medical or other aspects without any bearing to conservation science. To do this, we checked the abstract and keywords of the papers. Out of the 401 initial papers, after this first screening, we kept 217 in this dataset. The keywords of these papers were manually assigned to alien squirrel research topics by the authors of this dataset (using an own categorisation) and then mapped to the seven broad themes of invasive alien species research of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-023-03067-7">Stevenson et al. (2023)</a>:  <ol> <li>Ecosystems: topics which discuss a specific region, or biome, or focused on a particular species strongly associated with one ecosystem type;</li> <li>Monitoring: topics regarding all aspects of monitoring, including detection, identification, and distributional mapping;</li> <li>Management and decision-making: topics discussing the management and socio-political aspects of invasion science, such as prevention, control, and policy;</li> <li>Interactions: topics discussing the interactions with native species, or the effects of those interactions</li> <li>Assessing change: topics focused on studying and analysing temporal and ecological change;</li> <li>Traits: topics that explored the characteristics of alien squirrels;</li> <li>Invasion mechanisms: topics discussing dispersal pathways and drivers of spread.</li> </ol> Dataset description Every row (N = 1275) in the comma-separated .csv represents one original keyword with reference to the paper in which that keyword appears and mapped to the research topics on invasive squirrels and the broad themes in invasion biology research. The .csv contains the following fields: <ul> <li>ID: a unique ID assigned to the combination of an original keyword and the corresponding paper harvested from the WoS search</li> <li>original_keyword: the original keywords associated with the paper (WoS search)</li> <li>keyword_topic: categorization of original keywords into topics related to invasive squirrel research by La Morgia et al. (2023)</li> <li>mapped_category: mapping to one of the seven broad themes of invasive alien species research of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-023-03067-7">Stevenson et al. (2023)</a> as listed and described above</li> <li>authors: author(s) of the paper (WoS search)</li> <li>year: publication year of paper (WoS search)</li> <li>title: title of the paper (WoS search)</li> <li>journal: full journal name (WoS search)</li> <li>doi: full doi of the paper (WoS search)</li> </ul> Potential applications of the dataset This dataset can be used to reproduce the graphs in La Morgia et al. (2023) or to perform more in-depth review or analysis of the literature on alien squirrel invasions. For more information and graph code, we refer to <a href="https://github.com/Vale-LaMo/squirrels">this GitHub repository</a>.

opencc-zeroMay 2019View details →

Distribution of invasive alien species of Union concern (Regulation (EU) 1143/2014) in Belgium for the reporting period 2015-2018

Aims and scope Member State authorities are required to report on the distribution in their territory of each of the invasive alien species (IAS) of Union concern. These are species with documented biodiversity impacts sensu the European Union Regulation on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of Invasive Alien Species in Europe (IAS Regulation No 1143/2014) (European Union 2014). This distribution represents the official reporting under Article 24(1) of R.1143/2014 on invasive alien species for the period 2015–2018. Baseline distribution of these species has previously been reported and published (Adriaens et al. 2018, ). Data were compiled from various datasets holding invasive species observations such as data from research institutes and research projects (9%), citizen science observatories (68%) and a range of other sources (23%) such as governmental agencies, water managers etc. More specifically the dataset includes: <ul> <li>The citizen science recording portals www.waarnemingen.be and www.observation.be which has a specific alert system for IAS where nature volunteers can report their observations (Adriaens et al. 2018);</li> <li>Data from the Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), the Flemish government institute that coordinates N2000, WFD and BIrd Directive and IAS monitoring in the terrestrial, estuarine and freshwater environment;</li> <li>Data from the Flemish Environment Agency which performs management of muskrat and invasive water plants in Flanders, gathered with a dedicated smartphone app since 2015;</li> <li>Data from the Flemish provinces and Rato vzw that manage water plants, muskrat, giant hogweed etc.;</li> <li>Some smaller datasets from cities;</li> <li>Data from the Brussels Capital Region from the Brussels Environment data portal;</li> <li>Plant inventories of the ‘contrats de rivière’ along watercourses in Wallonia, making use of a dedicated application to collect data directly from the field (fulcrum);</li> <li>The government reporting portals for IAS of the ‘Observatoire wallon de la flore, de la faune et des habitats (Service Public de Wallonie)’;</li> <li>Some validated data from specific datasets on gbif (iNaturalist, Natusfera, Naturgucker).</li> </ul> Data were normalized using a custom mapping of the original data files to Darwin Core (Wieczorek et al. 2012) where possible. Species names were mapped to the GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (GBIF 2016) using the species API (http://www.gbif.org/developer/species). The mapping was assisted by dedicated software (SMARTIE) which was specifically written for the purpose of aggregating IAS data from various sources. Appropriate selection of records was performed based on the cut-off dates (see data range) and record content validation (see validation procedure). Data were then joined with GRID10k layer Belgium based on GRID10k cellcodes (ETRS_1989_LAEA). The technical format is in line with the <a href="http://cdr.eionet.europa.eu/help/ias_regulation/material/IAS-species-distribution-user-manual">guidelines</a> provided to the member states for the compilation of reports on Species Distribution (SD) of Invasive Alien Species of Union concern. File description The dataset contains a shapefiles (T1_Belgium_Union_List_Species.shp) with the distribution of the species of Union Concern at 10km2 (European Terrestrial Reference System projection - 1989 ETRS_1989_LAEA) level. The attributes table contains Cellcode (ETRS grid cell code) and Species (scientific name + authority). Date range The data reflects the distribution of the IAS of Union concern in Belgium in the first reporting period for the EU Regulation hence comprises observations of Union List invasive species between January 2015 (2015-01-01) and December 2018 (2018-12-31).  Validation procedure Record validation was performed to exclude dubious records, wrong identifications etc. This was done based on the IdentificationVerificationStatus field (to which validation information from original data were mapped) if available. In general, non-validated data were not considered. Data were validated in the original datasets based on evidence (e.g. pictures), on the observer’s experience, or based on a set of predefined rules (e.g. automated validation based on geographic filtering). Data from research institutes were generally considered validated. A few casual records of EU list species that were clearly planted were discarded manually. When the original dataset did not mention any validation status, records were not considered validated and therefore not taken into account unless for Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis, ruddy duck Oxyura jamaicensis, raccoon Procyon lotor, Siberian ground squirrel Tamias sibiricus, sacred ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus, Egyptian goose Alopochen aegyptiaca, Himalayan balsam Impatiens glandulifera, giant hogweed Heracleum mantegazzianum, muskrat Ondatra zibethicus and red-eared slider Trachemys spp. For these species, it was assumed all records were correct as they originate from dedicated sampling (E. sinensis) within research projects, were gathered by public bodies (e.g. muskrat), or represent species that are readily recognizable by people in the field. Data provided by EASIN in the care package and GBIF data were carefully checked. A visual check was performed on the resulting distribution maps by representatives of the Belgian national scientific council on invasive alien species, an official consultative structure coordinating scientific input and data aggregation between Belgian regions and institutions with regards to technical implementation of the Regulation No 1143/2014 on invasive alien species. Data providers The providers of the invasive species data for this exercise (individuals and their respective organizations) are listed in the "data providers" section of the dataset metadata. Much of the primary occurrence data that formed the basis for this aggregated dataset will be published as open data on the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).

opencc-by-4.0Nov 2023View details →

IPBES Invasive Alien Species Assessment: Summary for Policymakers. Figures, tables and captions

Figures, tables and their captions from the Summary for Policymakers of the Thematic Assessment Report on Invasive Alien Species and their Control of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.

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The more microplastic types pollute the soil, the stronger the growth suppression of invasive alien and native plants

The ecological consequences of microplastic pollution for plants remain largely unknown, and the few studies that tested the effects usually focused on a single type of microplastic and a single plant species. However, most plants will be exposed to multiple microplastic types simultaneously, and the effects may vary among species. To test the effects of microplastic diversity on plants, we grew single plants of eight invasive and eight native species in pots with substrate polluted with 0, 1, 3 and 6 types of microplastics. We found that the growth suppression by microplastic pollution became stronger with the number of microplastic types the plants were exposed to. This tended to be particularly the case for invasive species, as their biomass advantage over natives diminished with the number of microplastic types. The biomass responses coincided with a positive effect of the number of microplastic types on root allocation and thickness, which was also stronger for invasive than for native species. In addition, the results of hierarchical diversity-interaction models suggest that the negative impact of microplastic diversity on the total biomass of invasive plant species was influenced by both the identities of the microplastic and certain types of microplastic with strong pairwise interactions. In contrast, the effect on native species was determined solely by the microplastic identities. Synthesis: Our multi-species study thus shows for the first time that the negative effects of microplastic pollution on plant growth increase with the number of microplastic types. We also found tentative evidence that the negative impacts of microplastic diversity were more pronounced for invasive plants compared to native plants, and that this might be due to differences in the responses of root allocation and thickness.

opencc-zeroMar 2024View details →

opencc-by-4.0Feb 2023View details →

A list of taxa currently and historically regulated under South Africa's National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, Alien & Invasive Species Regulations

This information is lists of alien species regulated in South Africa under the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act in an accessible form. The first worksheet is essentially metadata. The second worksheet is intended to be a link between any taxa listed or proposed for listing and various taxonomic backbones. The third worksheet is intended to provide a list of taxonomically verified names linked to the current lists. The other worksheets link to particular versions of the regulations (including version sent for public comment that were never published), the intention is for this to be an exact copy (including formatting), please report any inconsistencies between this and the published version to john.wilson2@gmail.com, but before doing so please double-check that what is presented here, is not how it is presented in the lists themselves. The data were extracted by John Wilson at various dates from pdfs in the government gazette, contact john.wilson2@gmail.com For further details please see: Wilson JRU, Kumschick S (2024). The regulation of alien species in South Africa. South African Journal of Science. vol. 120, issue 5/6, Art. #17002. https://doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2024/17002  If only the database is to be cited, cite as Wilson, J. R. (2025) A list of taxa currently and historically regulated under South Africa's National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, Alien & Invasive Species Regulations. v1.1(20250325) doi: 10.5281/zenodo.15082537 (NOTE CHECK FOR LATEST VERSION ) For a full description of metadata see: the latest species list available at iasreport.sanbi.org.za/ or http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8217211

opencc-by-4.0Nov 2016View details →

Fig. 1 in Four Alien Monogeneans, Including Trinigyrus peregrinus n. sp., Parasitic on the Invasive Armored Catfish Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from Okinawa-jima Island, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan

Fig. 1. Measurement axes of hard parts of Unilatus and Trinigyrus. Abbreviations: aol, anchor outer length; apl, accessory piece length; asl, accessory structure length; asw, accessory structure width; atl, anchor total length; bmw, bar median width; btl, bar total length; btw, bar total width; bw, base width; ccl, copulatory organ curve length; cd, copulatory organ diameter; cl, copulatory organ length; mhl, marginal hook length; pl, point length; scl, sclerotized cup length; vl, vagina length.

opencc-by-4.0Nov 2016View details →

Fig. 3 in Four Alien Monogeneans, Including Trinigyrus peregrinus n. sp., Parasitic on the Invasive Armored Catfish Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from Okinawa-jima Island, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan

Fig. 3. Unilatus brittani Mizelle, Kritsky, and Crane, 1968. NSMT-Pl 6193. A, anterior anchors; B, posterior anchors; C, anterior bar; D, posterior bar; E, marginal hook of pair I; F, marginal hook of pair II; G, marginal hook of pair III; H, marginal hook of pair IV; I, marginal hook of pair V; J, marginal hook of pair VI; K, marginal hook of pair VII; L, male copulatory organ; M, vagina. Scale bars: 10 µm.

opencc-by-4.0Nov 2016View details →

Fig. 4. Trinigyrus peregrinus n in Four Alien Monogeneans, Including Trinigyrus peregrinus n. sp., Parasitic on the Invasive Armored Catfish Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from Okinawa-jima Island, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan

Fig. 4. Trinigyrus peregrinus n. sp. Holotype (NSMT-Pl 6195) for B–E, paratypes for A (NSMT-Pl 6198, 6200) and for F (NMST-Pl 6202). A, whole mount (ventral view, composite); B, anchors; C, bar; D, marginal hook; E, male copulatory organ; F, egg. Scale bars: A and F, 200 µm; B–E, 20 µm. Abbreviations: ap, accessory piece; cg, cephalic glands; in, intestinal caecum; mco, male copulatory organ; mh, marginal hook; o, oötype; od, oviduct; ov, ovary; ph, pharynx; pr, prostatic reservoir; sr, seminal reservoir; sv, seminal vesicle; t, testis; va, vagina; vd, vas deferens; vl, vitellaria; vp, vaginal pore.

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Data from: Soil mesofauna may buffer the negative effects of drought on alien plant invasion

Although many studies have tested the direct effects of drought on alien plant invasion, less is known about whether drought affects alien plant invasion indirectly via interactions of plants with other groups of organisms such as soil mesofauna. To test for such indirect effects, we grew single plants of nine naturalized alien target species in pot-mesocosms with a community of five native grassland species under four combinations of two drought (well-watered vs drought) and two soil-mesofauna-inoculation (with vs without) treatments. We found that drought decreased the absolute and the relative biomass production of the alien plants, and thus reduced their competitive strength in the native community. Drought also decreased the abundance of soil mesofauna, particularly soil mites, but did not affect the abundance and richness of soil herbivores. Soil-fauna inoculation did not affect biomass of the alien plants but increased biomass of the native plant community, and thereby decreased the relative biomass production of the alien plants. This increased invasion resistance due to soil fauna, however, tended (p = 0.09) to be stronger for plants growing under well-watered conditions than under drought. Synthesis. Our multispecies experiment thus shows that soil fauna might help native communities to resist alien plant invasions, but that this effect might be weakened under drought. In other words, soil mesofauna may buffer the negative effects of drought on alien plant invasions.

opencc-zeroJun 2022View details →

IPBES Invasive Alien Species Assessment: Summary for Policymakers. Figures, tables and captions in Arabic

Arabic translations of the figures, tables and their captions from the Summary for Policymakers of the Thematic Assessment Report on Invasive Alien Species and their Control of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.

IPBES Invasive Alien Species Assessment: Summary for Policymakers. Figures, tables and captions in Chinese

Chinese translations of the figures, tables and their captions from the Summary for Policymakers of the Thematic Assessment Report on Invasive Alien Species and their Control of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.

IPBES Invasive Alien Species Assessment: Summary for Policymakers. Figures, tables and captions in French

French translations of the figures, tables and their captions from the Summary for Policymakers of the Thematic Assessment Report on Invasive Alien Species and their Control of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.

IPBES Invasive Alien Species Assessment: Summary for Policymakers. Figures, tables and captions in Russian

Russian translations of the figures, tables and their captions from the Summary for Policymakers of the Thematic Assessment Report on Invasive Alien Species and their Control of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.

opencc-by-4.0Dec 2022View details →

Figure 3 in Mowing inhibits the invasion of the alien species Solidago altissima and is an effective management strategy

Figure 3. (a) Aboveground biomass of S. altissima in September 2019. (b) Biomass of rhizomes of S. altissima in September 2019. Mowing 1: mowed once in July; Mowing 2: mowed twice in May and September; Mowing 3: mowed three times in May, July, and September. Data are presented as means ± standard errors of 14 replicates. Bars with different letters are significantly different at p <0.05 (ANOVA with post hoc Tukey's test).

opencc-by-4.0Dec 2022View details →

Figure 4 in Mowing inhibits the invasion of the alien species Solidago altissima and is an effective management strategy

Figure 4. Effects of control practices on flowering rates of S. altissima in October 2019. Mowing 1: mowed once in July; Mowing 2: mowed twice in May and September; Mowing 3: mowed three times in May, July, and September. Data are presented as means ± standard errors of 14 replicates. Bars with different letters are significantly different at p <0.05 (ANOVA with post hoc Tukey's test).