Conceptual and ethical considerations in invasion science.

Invasion science addresses interconnected ecological, economic, and social challenges posed by the introduction of nonnative species. Therefore, invasion scientists have to consider and reconcile interdisciplinary needs while addressing the potential implications of their findings. Navigating diverse disciplines, including environmental sciences, ecology, economics, and the humanities, invasion scientists seek to arrive at informed decisions on invasion risk, impact, and management.

Cultural integration of invasive species.

Many invasive non-native species gradually become embedded within local cultures. Such species can increasingly be perceived by society as familiar or even native elements of the social-ecological system and become an integral part of local cultures. Here, we explore this phenomenon and refer to it as the cultural integration of invasive species.

Global Impacts Dataset of Invasive Alien Species (GIDIAS).

Invasive alien species are a major driver of global change, impacting biodiversity, ecosystem services, and human livelihoods. To document these impacts, we present the Global Impacts Dataset of Invasive Alien Species (GIDIAS), a dataset on the positive, negative and neutral impacts of invasive alien species on nature, nature's contributions to people, and good quality of life. This dataset arises from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services' (IPBES) thematic assessment report of this topic.

Road Disturbance Shifts Root Fungal Symbiont Types and Reduces the Connectivity of Plant-Fungal Co-Occurrence Networks in Mountains.

Roads are currently one of the most disruptive anthropogenic disturbances to mountain ecosystems worldwide. These disturbances can have a profound effect on roadside soil properties and vegetation, typically favouring fast-growing and ruderal species. However, their effect on plant-associated fungal communities and plant-fungal interactions remains largely unknown.

Distinct foliar fungal communities in Pinus contorta across native and introduced ranges: evidence for context dependency of pathogen release.

Inter-continental study systems are crucial for testing ecological hypotheses, such as the widely cited Enemy Release Hypothesis (ERH), which seeks to explain the superior performance of plant species when they are introduced to new regions. Pinus contorta (lodgepole pine), native to North America, has been extensively introduced to Europe and the Southern Hemisphere, making it an ideal tree species for studying invasion hypotheses from a biogeographical perspective. We compared foliar fungal communities, especially pathogens, of P.

Parallels and discrepancies between non-native species introductions and human migration.

Biological invasions and human migrations have increased globally due to socio-economic drivers and environmental factors that have enhanced cultural, economic, and geographic connectivity. Both processes involve the movement, establishment, and spread of species, yet unfold within fundamentally different philosophical, social and biological contexts. Hence, studying biological invasions (invasion science) and human migration (migration studies) presents complex parallels that are potentially fruitful to explore.

Biological invasions are a population-level rather than a species-level phenomenon.

Biological invasions pose a rapidly expanding threat to the persistence, functioning and service provisioning of ecosystems globally, and to socio-economic interests. The stages of successful invasions are driven by the same mechanism that underlies adaptive changes across species in general-via natural selection on intraspecific variation in traits that influence survival and reproductive performance (i.e.

Including a diverse set of voices to address biological invasions.

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.

Taming the terminological tempest in invasion science.

Standardised terminology in science is important for clarity of interpretation and communication. In invasion science - a dynamic and rapidly evolving discipline - the proliferation of technical terminology has lacked a standardised framework for its development. The result is a convoluted and inconsistent usage of terminology, with various discrepancies in descriptions of damage and interventions.

Plant invasion shifts soil microbiome and physico-chemical attributes along an elevational gradient in Kashmir Himalaya.

Soil microbial communities, being situated at the interface of aboveground plant and belowground soil systems, can play a pivotal role in determining ecosystem response to the drivers of global environmental change, including invasive species. In mountains, invasive plants occurring along elevational gradients offer a unique natural experimental system to investigate the impact of invasions in determining patterns and relationships of soil microbial diversity and nutrient pools at much shorter spatial distances. Here, we studied the impact of a global plant invader, Leucanthemum vulgare, on the diversity of soil microbiome and physico-chemical attributes along an elevational gradient (1760-2880 m) in Kashmir Himalaya.

Predicting the impact of invasive trees from different measures of abundance.

Biological invasions produce negative impacts worldwide, causing massive economic costs and ecological impacts. Knowing the relationship between invasive species abundance and the magnitude of their impacts (abundance-impact curves) is critical to designing prevention and management strategies that effectively tackle these impacts. However, different measures of abundance may produce different abundance-impact curves.

Recommendations for making editorial boards diverse and inclusive.

Lack of diversity in editorial boards hinders multifaceted perspectives in fields such as ecology, evolution, and conservation. We outline ten key actions for editorial boards to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion, benefiting the journal in attracting a wider readership, enhancing diversity among authors, and overcoming biases in editorial decisions.

A solution for breaking the language barrier.

Global problems require global scientific solutions, but the dominance of the English language creates a large barrier for many non-English-proficient researchers to make their findings and knowledge accessible globally. Here, we propose integrating peer language proofing and translation systems in preprint platforms as a solution for promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion in science.

Identifying Priorities, Targets, and Actions for the Long-term Social and Ecological Management of Invasive Non-Native Species.

Formulating effective management plans for addressing the impacts of invasive non-native species (INNS) requires the definition of clear priorities and tangible targets, and the recognition of the plurality of societal values assigned to these species. These tasks require a multi-disciplinary approach and the involvement of stakeholders. Here, we describe procedures to integrate multiple sources of information to formulate management priorities, targets, and high-level actions for the management of INNS.

Making ecology really global.

Ecology must flourish globally, especially in a period of unprecedented anthropogenic global change. However, some regions dominate the ecological literature. Multiple barriers prevent global production and exchange of ecological knowledge.

Non-English languages enrich scientific knowledge: The example of economic costs of biological invasions.

We contend that the exclusive focus on the English language in scientific research might hinder effective communication between scientists and practitioners or policy makers whose mother tongue is non-English. This barrier in scientific knowledge and data transfer likely leads to significant knowledge gaps and may create biases when providing global patterns in many fields of science. To demonstrate this, we compiled data on the global economic costs of invasive alien species reported in 15 non-English languages.

Invasive trees rely more on mycorrhizas, countering the ideal-weed hypothesis.

The ideal-weed hypothesis predicts that invasive plants should be less dependent on mutualisms. However, evidence in favor of or against this hypothesis comes mainly from observational studies. Here, we experimentally tested this hypothesis using a two-factor greenhouse experiment, comparing the seedling growth response of different Pinus species (varying in invasiveness) to ectomycorrhizal fungal inoculation.