TIPMIP

Capacity of countries to reduce biological invasions - Sustainability Science

The extent and impacts of biological invasions on biodiversity are largely shaped by an array of socio-economic and environmental factors, which exhibit high variation among countries. Yet, a global analysis of how these factors vary across countries is currently lacking. Here, we investigate how five broad, country-specific socio-economic and environmental indices (Governance, Trade, Environmental Performance, Lifestyle and Education, Innovation) explain country-level (1) established alien species (EAS) richness of eight taxonomic groups, and (2) proactive or reactive capacity to prevent and manage biological invasions and their impacts. These indices underpin many aspects of the invasion process, including the introduction, establishment, spread and management of alien species. They are also general enough to enable a global comparison across countries, and are therefore essential for defining future scenarios for biological invasions. Models including Trade, Governance, Lifestyle and Education, or a combination of these, best explained EAS richness across taxonomic groups and national proactive or reactive capacity. Historical (1996 or averaged over 1996–2015) levels of Governance and Trade better explained both EAS richness and the capacity of countries to manage invasions than more recent (2015) levels, revealing a historical legacy with important implications for the future of biological invasions. Using Governance and Trade to define a two-dimensional socio-economic space in which the position of a country captures its capacity to address issues of biological invasions, we identified four main clusters of countries in 2015. Most countries had an increase in Trade over the past 25 years, but trajectories were more geographically heterogeneous for Governance. Declines in levels of Governance are concerning as they may be responsible for larger levels of invasions in the future. By identifying the factors influencing EAS richness and the regions most susceptible to changes in these factors, our results provide novel insights to integrate biological invasions into scenarios of biodiversity change to better inform decision-making for policy and the management of biological invasions.

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Visualising how the climate has changed for every country across the globe

New Study Shows Biological Invasions from Invasive Species are as Costly as Natural Disasters – Invasive Species Centre

Natural disasters such as storms, earthquakes and wildfires are widely recognized for their devastating economic impacts. A new study released on March 17, 2023, revealed that biological invasions from invasive species are as economically devastating as these more well-known phenomena, underscoring the importance of action and preventative measures. Invasive species – organisms introduced by humans […]

NASA Scientific Visualization Studio - Zonal Climate Anomalies 1880-2022

A visualization of zonal temperature anomalies. The latitude zones are 90N-64N, 64N-44N, 44N-24N, 24N-EQU, EQU-24S, 24S-44S, 44S-64S, 64S-90S. The anomalies are calculated relative to a baseline period of 1951-1980. This version is in Fahrenheit, an alternate version in Celsius is also available. A visualization of zonal temperature anomalies. The latitude zones are 90N-64N, 64N-44N, 44N-24N, 24N-EQU, EQU-24S, 24S-44S, 44S-64S, 64S-90S. The anomalies are calculated relative to a baseline period of 1951-1980. This version is in Celsius, an alternate version in Fahrenheit is also available. The visualization presents zonal temperature anomalies between the years 1880-2022. The visualization illustrates that the Arctic is warming much faster than other regions of the Earth.These temperatures are based on the GISS Surface Temperature Analysis (GISTEMP v4), an estimate of global surface temperature change. The latitude zones are 90N-64N, 64N-44N, 44N-24N, 24N-EQU, EQU-24S, 24S-44S, 44S-64S, 64S-90S. Anomalies are defined relative to a base period of 1951-1980. The data file used to create this visualization can be accessed here.The Goddard Institute of Space Studies (GISS) is a NASA laboratory managed by the Earth Sciences Division of the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The laboratory is affiliated with Columbia University’s Earth Institute and School of Engineering and Applied Science in New York.

Work on scenarios and models, including the foundations of the Nature Futures Framework - a flexible tool to support the development of scenarios and models of desirable futures for people, nature and Mother Earth | IPBES secretariat

Dear IPBES members, observers and other interested stakeholders,