Publications by authors named "Sven Bacher"
Biological invasions are a major threat to biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and nature's contributions to people worldwide. However, the effectiveness of invasive alien species (IAS) management measures and the progress toward achieving biodiversity targets remain uncertain due to limited and nonuniform data availability. Management success is usually assessed at a local level and documented in technical reports, often written in languages other than English, which makes such data notoriously difficult to collect at large geographic scales.
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- The IPBES invasive alien species assessment is the first comprehensive global review focusing on the threats posed by invasive species to biodiversity and human wellbeing, synthesizing over 13,000 scientific and local knowledge sources.
- It reveals significant and escalating threats from invasive alien species and outlines practical management strategies for addressing these challenges.
- The assessment has garnered support from 143 member states, urging immediate action against biological invasions to protect ecosystems and communities worldwide.
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- - Our study examines the risks posed by 94 invasive species to seven vital ecosystem services in Europe, revealing widespread impacts on areas like outdoor recreation and crop provision.
- - We found that areas with less provision of ecosystem services are more exposed to invasive species, with potential invasion areas projected to increase by 77% in key regions.
- - The research highlights the need to monitor high-value ecosystem service areas, which cover a small part of Europe but are crucial for conservation, aligning management strategies with biodiversity goals.
Inclusivity is fundamental to progress in understanding and addressing the global phenomena of biological invasions because inclusivity fosters a breadth of perspectives, knowledge, and solutions. Here, we report on how the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) assessment on invasive alien species (IAS) prioritized inclusivity, the benefits of this approach, and the remaining challenges.
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- - The Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa (EICAT) is a vital standard adopted by the IUCN to assess the environmental effects of non-native species and is being used in various national and local decision-making processes to manage biological invasions effectively.
- - Recent challenges have arisen regarding EICAT's foundational concepts, especially about the precautionary approach, leading to concerns that some criticisms may hinder global efforts to control invasive species.
- - EICAT emphasizes the need for proactive management of non-native species due to their role in biodiversity loss and the significant economic and environmental costs associated with ignoring potential impacts, aligning with international biodiversity goals like the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
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- - Biodiversity loss is accelerating due to human activities, making it essential to measure the impacts of various environmental stressors accurately and consistently.
- - A new framework has been developed to help quantify these impacts by examining biodiversity in affected areas versus unaffected reference points while considering changes over time.
- - This framework aims to address important questions in ecology, like comparing impacts from different stressors, understanding their interactions, and evaluating the effectiveness of conservation efforts over time.
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- Soil tillage and herbicide use in agriculture can disrupt soil microbial communities, but the effects of this disruption at large geographical scales are not well-studied.
- Research in vineyards across five European countries showed that while microbial diversity sometimes changed with soil disturbance, the overall shift in community composition was more influenced by location than the type of disturbance.
- Although soil disturbance consistently reduced microbial respiration, its impact on the decomposition of organic matter varied widely between countries, highlighting the challenges of making broad conclusions about microbial responses across different regions.
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- Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) can control wireworms, but their effectiveness varies in the field, partly influenced by the insect's nutritional status.
- This study examined how different diets affected the wireworm Agriotes obscurus and its susceptibility to the fungus Metarhizium brunneum, revealing that while diet impacted wireworm growth, it didn't significantly affect infection rates in the lab.
- Field experiments showed that wireworm damage varied with cover crop species, being highest in diverse mixes and lowest with clover or radish, indicating that the choice of cover crops can influence wireworm management strategies.
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- Community science fosters public engagement in research, enhancing education and awareness around important issues like biodiversity, particularly concerning alien species.
- While beneficial, uncertainties in study design, data collection, and communication can hinder project success, impacting the reliability of findings.
- The text outlines methods to reduce these uncertainties and provides practical recommendations to improve community science outcomes, critical for monitoring novel alien species effectively.
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- Alien species, introduced by humans outside their native habitats, can negatively impact global biodiversity, leading to the need for standardized assessments like the IUCN EICAT.
- While EICAT focuses on the negative effects, alien species can also have positive impacts, such as providing food or habitat, but there was no established system to measure these benefits.
- To address this, the proposed EICAT+ framework categorizes positive impacts through five scenarios and helps enhance our understanding of biological invasions, aiding in better conservation strategies.
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- The field of invasion science is marked by dynamic and divergent views on core themes like values, management, impacts, and terminology, leading to significant debate among scientists and practitioners.
- A global survey of 698 individuals revealed a mix of high consensus and notable polarization on various contentious topics, particularly concerning invasive species denialism, the role of invasive species in biodiversity, and management strategies.
- The analysis indicated that disputes often arise based on the type of invasive taxa studied, the disciplinary background of the respondents, and geographical differences, with minimal influence from demographic factors like age and gender.
Interactions between plants can be beneficial, detrimental or neutral. In agricultural systems, competition between crop and spontaneous vegetation is a major concern. We evaluated the relative support for three non-exclusive ecological hypotheses about interactions between crop and spontaneous plants based on competition, complementarity or facilitation.
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- A hypothesis suggests that exotic species can only establish self-sustaining populations in environments that closely match their native climate, but this theory hasn't been thoroughly tested before.
- A study of 979 introductions of 173 mammal species reveals that a new measure called the Niche Margin Index (NMI), which assesses how closely the climate matches the species’ native environment, is a better predictor of establishment success than many other factors.
- NMI can improve ecological research and risk assessments, potentially helping to prevent invasive species introductions and reducing the costs associated with eradication efforts.
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- To efficiently manage alien species, prioritization should focus on the most damaging species, which varies depending on their specific impacts in different environments.* -
- The Environmental Impact Classification of Alien Taxa (EICAT) helps compare harmful effects of alien species on native wildlife, categorizing impacts from negligible to irreversible extinction.* -
- The study assessed 27 alien ungulate species, finding that most cause significant harm to native populations, with certain species like mouflon and dromedary posing a greater risk of local extinction, thus refining management strategies.*
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- The article emphasizes the urgent need to address the biodiversity crisis and its impact on ecosystems.
- It highlights the financial costs associated with invasive species and the significant consequences they have on native wildlife.
- The role of human actions in exacerbating these issues is critical and should be a focal point in conservation efforts.
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- Biological invasions have been rising for centuries but future trends in alien species numbers remain uncertain; it's unclear if these species will keep accumulating or if the rate will slow down due to fewer native species available.
- A new model was applied to simulate future alien species numbers, validated with historical data from 1950 to 2005, predicting a 36% increase in established alien species from 2005 to 2050 across various continents and taxonomic groups.
- The model identified Europe as having the largest increase in alien species, particularly notable for invertebrates, while Australasia is projected to see declining growth rates.
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- Understanding the future impacts of biological invasions is complex due to various environmental and socio-economic factors, making expert assessments vital in the absence of quantitative models.
- An evaluation by 36 experts suggests that alien species invasions may rise by 20%-30%, posing significant threats to biodiversity, regardless of socioecological contexts.
- Key drivers like transport, climate change, and socio-economic shifts will heavily influence these impacts, but proactive measures could lessen the consequences and contribute to global biodiversity goals.
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- Biological invasions are a growing global issue driven by increased human connectivity and population, with invasive alien species spreading widely and negatively impacting ecosystems and livelihoods.
- These invaders disrupt native species, reduce biodiversity, and alter ecosystem functions, leading to long-term ecological consequences that are often only recognized after they become established.
- Despite successful biosecurity efforts in some countries, like Australia and New Zealand, many nations inadequately address invasions, highlighting the need for enhanced international collaboration and better implementation of management strategies to mitigate their effects.
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- - The text emphasizes the need for distributed environmental research infrastructures that can adapt to both long-term global changes and rapid societal advancements, particularly in Europe.
- - It identifies twenty key research questions focusing on ecosystem structures, human impacts, ecosystem services, and the methods used in research, highlighting the importance of a holistic approach to address complex environmental challenges.
- - The text advocates for improved interoperability among research infrastructures through standardized methods, and stresses the need for flexibility in design and methodologies, while ensuring compatibility with existing long-term data.
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- Bt cotton is genetically modified to produce proteins that deter caterpillar pests, potentially lowering its natural defenses and benefiting herbivores like plant bugs.
- Research assessed how plant defenses influenced the performance of the plant bug Lygus hesperus by testing its growth on various Bt and non-Bt cotton plants, both damaged and undamaged.
- The study found that while Bt cotton showed increased levels of defensive compounds when treated with jasmonic acid (JA), L. hesperus nymphs thrived on undamaged or Bt-modified sources, suggesting that genetically engineered defenses may indirectly assist these herbivores by reducing competition with caterpillars.
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- - The EU has published its first list of invasive alien species (IAS) that threaten biodiversity, which will require legal action and ongoing updates as new threats emerge.
- - A systematic consensus horizon scanning process was used, involving international experts who identified and ranked 329 potential IAS not yet in the EU based on their risk of arrival, establishment, spread, and impact on biodiversity.
- - The outcome was a refined list of 66 potential IAS categorized by risk level (very high, high, medium), along with details on their potential negative impacts and regions within the EU that may be affected.
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- Solar radiation significantly reduces the effectiveness of entomopathogenic fungi like Beauveria bassiana when used in open fields, highlighting the need for protective measures.
- A study tested 12 natural UV protectants, finding that humic acid provided over 90% protection against harmful UV-B radiation, while also improving spore persistence in field tests.
- Overall, the use of UV protectants such as humic acid, sesame, and colza oil can enhance the survival and efficacy of B. bassiana spores, making them more viable as biocontrol agents in agricultural settings.
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- Understanding past invasion history helps predict future invasive alien species, but newly emerging species present significant challenges for global biosecurity.
- A study shows that even after centuries of invasions, new alien species are still frequently recorded, with a notable 25% of such records from 2000-2005 being entirely new.
- The increase in emerging alien species isn’t only due to known factors like trading but also relates to new regions being introduced into the potential species pool because of expanding trade and environmental changes, making future impacts unpredictable.
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- Research on how species are introduced by humans has grown, but we still don't fully understand how these alien species accumulate over time across different areas and types.
- Using a new database, the study found that the global annual rate of first records for alien species has risen significantly in the last 200 years, with a striking 37% reported between 1970 and 2014.
- The patterns of these increases are linked to European migration in the 1800s and a rise in trade in the 1900s, showing that previous efforts to control invasive species have not been sufficient against the backdrop of increasing globalization.