Between 26-31 July, Pensoft Publishers joined more than 2,600 ecologists, researchers, and conservation professionals in Salt Lake City for the 111th Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America (ESA2026).
Pensoft Publishers joined more than 2,600 ecologists, researchers, and conservation professionals in Salt Lake City for the 111th Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America (ESA2026) between 26-31 July.
This year’s conference theme, “Ecology in an Era of Uncertainty,” could not have felt more timely. Uncertainty is nothing new to ecological research – it’s built into measurements, mechanisms, and predictions.
But new sources of uncertainty are now reshaping the field: the rise of artificial intelligence, post-pandemic shifts in career development, and growing instability in research funding. Throughout the week, the ESA community came together not only to share cutting-edge ecological research, but also to think collectively about how to navigate these emerging challenges – trading multidisciplinary, creative solutions to keep the field resilient in the face of what’s next.
The Opening Session
The Grand Ballroom was packed for the opening session, where Conference Chairs Daniel Stover and Andrea Swei welcomed attendees. Despite a challenging year for funding and travel, the 111th annual meeting of ESA 2026 hosted 2,600 registered attendees 330 sessions and 884 posters,
The opening address was delivered by Diane Pitaki, Chief Scientist and Vice President for Science at the National Wildlife Federation, who spoke about ecology standing at a crossroads amid the biodiversity crisis and shifting political headwinds, urging the community to actively “defend conservation science.”
Among the meeting’s standout moments was the plenary from Tanya Berger-Wolf, Professor of Computer Science and Ecology at Ohio State University and a leading figure in AI for ecology and biodiversity.
Notably, Berger-Wolf will be a keynote speaker at TDWG 2026 in Oslo (20-25 September) – where Pensoft Publisherswill once again be exhibiting, so stay tuned for future updates.
Situated right at the entrance of the exhibition hall, Pensoft’s booth revelled in attention from attendees throughout the week.
Pensoft’s team at ESA 2026 in Salt Palace Convention Center.
Pensoft’s busy stand at the 111th Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America.
Pensoft’s busy stand at the 111th Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America.
The beautiful Denitsa Peneva’s illustrations at ESA 2026.
A particular highlight was our trio of diamond open-access journals – free to publish in and free to read – that drew considerable interest from attendees:
Individual-Based Ecology promotes a distinctive individual-based perspective on ecology, aiming to bridge individual behaviour and broader ecological patterns.
Advances in Pollinator Research is designed as an innovative platform for the full spectrum of pollinator science, from pollination ecology and pollinator-plant interactions to molecular ecology, conservation, and more.
Agricultural and Environmental Modelling (AEM), meanwhile, offers an innovative approach to publishing, dedicated to advancing both the science and practice of modelling across agriculture, food systems, natural resources, and environmental sciences.
Brochure of the diamond open-access Individual Based Ecology Journal.
Close up photo of the Advances in Pollinator Research brochure at ESA 2026.
Nicole Nogoy, managing editor of Agricultural and Environmental Modelling at ESA 2026.
Attendees curious about AEM had the chance to speak directly with its Managing Editor, Nicole Nogoy, who was on site throughout the conference to discuss publishing opportunities and promote the journal’s search for Subject Editors.
We also introduced attendees to our newest addition, the diamond open-accessJournal of Regeneration. For those interested in sharing early-stage research or project outcomes, Research Ideas and Outcomes (RIO) offered another avenue worth exploring, publishing everything from project proposals and data to policy briefs and null results.
Those looking for a new publisher or white-label solutions had the opportunity to exploreARPHA, Pensoft’s own publishing platform, which supports the full journey from manuscript writing and peer review to publication, dissemination, and archiving – all in one seamless workflow.
Combined brochure of EU-Funded project in which Pensoft participates.
Beyond the journals and publishing solutions, the team took the opportunity to spotlight some of Pensoft’s ongoing EU-funded projects, including our pollination initiatives and our continued work with eLTER.
This time around, our team created “Pensoft Species Quiz,” challenging booth visitors to identify the correct Latin name for a series of species beautifully illustrated by Denitsa Peneva. Being more than just a fun activity, it became a natural conversation starter – leading into deeper discussions about Pensoft’s journals, services, and potential collaborations with attendees.
Some of the winners from our quiz at ESA 2026.
Some of the winners from our quiz at ESA 2026.
Happy winners from our interactive quiz game at ESA 2026.
Attendees interacting with our fun quiz.
The Agricultural and Environmental Modelling Poster Award
AEM’s Managing Editor – Nicole Nogoy ran a poster competition at the meeting, and it turned out to be one of the highlights of our week. Three researchers stood out:
Julian Resasco (University of Colorado, Boulder) took home the prize for overall best presentation with a hand-drawn comic-book poster on climate change effects on Basque country thistles;
Gwendolyn Lloyd (Indiana University) impressed us with her research on arthropods and mites in agricultural soils;
Emily Redding (Fort Hays State University, KS) joined in with a poster on fire suppression’s effects on Juniper-dependent bird species, having been inspired to bring modelling into her own research.
We also took part in a raffle organised by ESA, to which each exhibitor contributed a prize.
Kanchana Balasubramanian one of the winners of Pensoft Publishers’ raffle prizes at ESA2026.
Elizabeth Afkhami Searcy received our book “Mapping Ecosystem Services” as part of the Ecological Society of America’s conference raffle.
ESA2026 was a strong reminder of just how much energy – and uncertainty – is currently shaping the ecology community. Between thought-provoking plenaries on AI and conservation science, engaging conversations sparked by our species quiz, and the enthusiasm we saw around the AEM poster competition, it was a week full of meaningful connections for Pensoft.
We’re already looking forward to the next time, and we hope you’re looking forward to it, too!
As a longstanding supporter of vegetation science publishing, and publisher of Vegetation Classification and Survey, Pensoft was proud to sponsor EGC 2026 and attend throughout the week.
From 19 to 23 July 2026, Sofia hosted the 21st Eurasian Grassland Conference (EGC 2026), organised by the Eurasian Dry Grassland Group (EDGG), a working group of the International Association for Vegetation Science (IAVS). EDGG is dedicated to research on, and the conservation of, natural and semi-natural grasslands across the Palaearctic biogeographic realm, spanning any taxonomic group, whether plants and vegetation, animals or fungi.
This year’s conference was held under the theme “Connecting science and conservation for grassland sustainability”, with the aim of highlighting how research into grassland ecosystems connects with management practices and conservation goals on the ground.
Grasslands, particularly species-rich semi-natural grasslands and Eurasian steppes, are among the most threatened habitat types in one of the most heavily urbanised and intensively managed regions in the world, despite providing a wide range of ecosystem services. Bringing scientific knowledge together with conservation practice was therefore a central thread running through the week.
The conference was hosted by the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research (IBER) at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. IBER conducts research across fundamental and applied ecology, biodiversity, nature conservation and the sustainable use of biological resources. The institute also provides scientific and methodological support to state institutions and NGOs, making it a fitting host for a conference concerned with the practical application of grassland science.
As a longstanding supporter of vegetation science publishing, and publisher of Vegetation Classification and Survey (VCS), one of IAVS’s official journals, Pensoft was proud to sponsor EGC 2026 and attend with an information stand throughout the week.
Pensoft’s stand at the 21st Eurasian Grassland Conference.
A gathering of the grassland community
EGC 2026 brought together around 60 participants, from early-career researchers to established names in vegetation science. Among the attendees were several members of the editorial board of VCS, including Editors-in-Chief Idoia Biurrun and Jürgen Dengler, as well as members of the IAVS council:
We were also delighted to catch up with authors who have published with us across several of our journals, including Biodiversity Data Journal (Naim Berisha), PhytoKeys (Marcin Nobel) and VCS(Arkadiusz Nowak).
Naim Berisha, an author in BDJ, at Pensoft’s stand at EGC 2026.
Marcin Nobis, a subject editors for PhytoKeys, at Pensoft’s stand at EGC 2026.
Arkadiusz Nowak, an author and editorial board member for VCS, at Pensoft’s stand at EGC 2026.
Our stand attracted a steady flow of visitors over the course of the week:
Conference participants visiting Pensoft’s stand at the 21st Eurasian Grassland Conference.
Pensoft’s journal portfolio in vegetation science.
Throughout the event, we shared our vegetation science portfolio, including VCSand Vegetation, Ecology and Diversity (VED), with strong additional interest in our following open-access journals:
Biodiversity Data Journal (BDJ) – a community peer-reviewed journal, designed to accelerate publishing, dissemination and sharing of biodiversity-related data of any kind.
MycoKeys– dedicated to the taxonomy, phylogeny, biogeography, evolution and ecology of the fungal kingdom, including lichens, and publishing everything from new species descriptions to checklists, monographs and methodology papers.
Nature Conservation – a rapid, peer-reviewed journal spanning all aspects of nature conservation, from populations to whole ecosystems, and from microorganisms and fungi to higher plants and animals.
A new special feature on the way
We were pleased to learn, just ahead of the conference, of a forthcoming VCS special feature tied to the event: “Vegetation of the Balkan Peninsula”, edited by Jürgen Dengler, Erwin Bergmeier and Urban Šilc.
The special feature welcomes contributions on any vegetation type from the Balkan Peninsula, including syntaxon revisions at national or supranational level, regional vegetation monographs, synthetic overviews of a country’s or region’s syntaxa, nomenclatural proposals, habitat typologies and applications, and long and short database reports.
VCS offers Gold Open Access publishing, holds a Journal Impact Factor of 2.7, and provides reduced article processing charges for IAVS members, with the option of complete waivers. Further details on the special feature will be announced soon on the VegSciBlog and across Vegetation Classification and Survey’s channels.
Scientific highlights
The five-day scientific programme was organised around five sessions: patterns, classification and biogeography of Palaearctic grasslands; grasslands of the Balkan Peninsula; animals in Palaearctic grasslands; innovative methods, experimental approaches and open science in grassland research; and global change, conservation, restoration and management of Palaearctic grasslands.
Participants at the 21st Eurasian Grassland Conference.
Jürgen Dengler – Global change in European grasslands: insights from local to continental studies.
Anna Kuzemko – Impact ofmilitary actions on the steppe ecosystems of Ukraine.
One of the highlights of the week was our own Head of Journal Development and PR, Iva Boyadzhieva, presenting on how Pensoft supports FAIR publishing for biodiversity and conservation research. Her talk set out how, as biodiversity and sustainability research gains momentum through greater international and interdisciplinary collaboration and the pressures of an unfolding environmental crisis, bridging scientific knowledge and conservation practice has become ever more critical.
Iva Boyadzhieva presenting – “At the forefront of FAIR publishing for biodiversity and conservation research”.
We also enjoyed Editor-in-Chief of VCS Jürgen Dengler’s talk on global change in European grasslands, which drew on regional resurveys of historic vegetation plots, combined analyses of multiple resurvey datasets, and decades of plot data from the European Vegetation Archive (EVA).
Anna Kuzemko’s talk on the impact of military actions on the steppe ecosystems of Ukraine was another highlight of the week. Her research offered a valuable basis for prioritising and planning the restoration of Ukraine’s damaged steppe habitats going forward.
Anna Kuzemko – Impact of military actions on the steppe ecosystems of Ukraine.
Awards
Pensoft also sponsored a best presentation and poster competition at the conference. Best Presentation was awarded to Sara Nigro for her talk “Climate and management changes drive semi-natural grassland community assembly over twenty years”, based on the resurvey of 49 vegetation plots in central Italy over two decades, revealing how climatic warming and shifting management practices are reshaping mountain semi-natural grasslands.
Best Poster went to Nadiia Skobel for “Drivers of vascular plant diversity in cultural heritage sites: a case study of old cemeteries (southern Ukraine)”, which showcased how old cemeteries in the grass steppe zone of southern Ukraine act as important refuges for native and steppe specific flora amid widespread habitat loss elsewhere in the region.
Looking ahead
EGC 2026 offered a valuable opportunity to connect with the authors, editors and researchers who make up the vegetation science community, and to see first hand how grassland research is being put to work for conservation across the Palaearctic. The next Eurasian Grassland Conference will take place in 2027 in Dilijan, Armenia – stay tuned for further updates!
Closing ceremony of the 21st EurasianGrassland Conference.
The seal recognises institutions that consistently share open-access agricultural research with the global community.
Pensoft has been awarded the Seal of Recognition for the FAO AGRIS Active Data Provider of the Year for 2027. The seal is granted by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations through its AGRIS initiative, and it recognises institutions that consistently share open-access agricultural research with the global community.
Notably, Pensoft joined the FAO AGRIS network back in 2024, and the organisation has renewed our seal every year since, a recognition we’re proud to have kept.
What has changed is the scale of our contribution. In 2024, Pensoft’s records on AGRIS numbered just under 15,000. Today, that figure has doubled to nearly 30,000, drawn from all 51 of our journals that fall within the scope of FAO AGRIS. The subjects covered are wide-ranging, spanning taxonomy, biodiversity, conservation and biogeography – these are all areas that feed directly into sustainable agriculture and natural resource management.
Through AGRIS, this research travels well beyond our own journals to researchers, policymakers and practitioners worldwide, adding to the shared pool of open knowledge that supports global food security and environmental sustainability. We’re glad to keep contributing to that effort, and look forward to continuing our work with FAO AGRIS in the years to come.
About FAO
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Its goal is to achieve food security for all, ensuring that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With 194 members, 193 countries and the European Union, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide.
About Pensoft
Founded in 1992 “by scientists, for scientists,” Pensoft is an academic open-access publishing company well known worldwide for its cutting-edge publishing tools, workflows and methods for text and data publishing of journals, books and conference materials. In 2010, Pensoft became the first scientific publisher to introduce semantic enrichments in scholarly publications. Through its Research and Technical Development department, the company is involved in a range of research and technology projects.
Highlights from Pensoft’s booth from the 8th European Congress of Conservation Biology (ECCB 2026) in Leiden.
Between 6-10 July, more than 850 participants from 25 countries gathered in Leiden, the Netherlands, for the 8th European Congress of Conservation Biology (ECCB) 2026.
The congress was organised by the Society for Conservation Biology (SCB) and hosted at Leiden University (FWN/CML), in partnership with Hortus botanicus, Wageningen University & Research (WUR), and NIOO-KNAW, with support from the Leiden Biodiversity Network.
Opening ceremony of ECCB 2026
Head of PR and Journal Development representing Pensoft at ECCB 2026.
Exhibitor and poster hall at ECCB 2026.
Effective Biodiversity Conservation
Under the theme “Effective Biodiversity Conservation,” the congress brought together researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to explore how biodiversity can be safeguarded over the long term. Its core message was that effective conservation cannot rest on the efforts of conservationists alone. It requires coordinated, multidisciplinary, science-based action across society.
Opening ceremony of ECCB 2026.
Prof. Dr. Geert de Snoo and his “1% of GDP for safeguarding nature!” presentation
Dr. Laura Bosco, President of SCB Europe, opened the congress and set the scene for the week ahead. Prof. Dr. Geert de Snoo, one of the congress’s co-organisers, followed with the presentation: “1% of GDP for safeguarding nature!” – a call to set aside 1% of global GDP to help close the biodiversity funding gap, given that half of the world’s GDP depends on natural ecosystem services, and to protect 30% of the Earth’s land and oceans by 2030.
From there, the programme ran packed with symposia, roundtables, and workshops covering policymaking and effectiveness, conservation planning, new methods for measuring and quantifying biodiversity, eDNA for conservation, citizen science, and remote sensing, alongside a poster session held each day.
Pensoft at he 8th European Congress of Conservation Biology (ECCB) 2026.
Our stand stood out with professionally designed booth walls and enjoyed a strong flow of visitors throughout the congress. Delegates met Pensoft’s Head of Journal Development and PR, Iva Boyadzhieva, who answered questions about publishing opportunities and scholarly resources, including Advanced Books, Pensoft’s platform for publishing open-access monographs, edited volumes, and other book-length scholarly works.
People spinning Pensoft’s Fortune Wheel to win prizes.
People signing up to Pensoft’s newsletter and spinning the wheel.
For the first time, our booth also ran an interactive game, where visitors could spin a wheel to win some prizes. The game rules were simple: visitors filled out a subscription form for one or more journals, spun a wheel featuring the names of journals relevant to the congress, and won a sticker matching the journal they landed on.
Visitor at Pensoft’s booth at the 8th European Congress of Conservation Biology, interacting with the wheel.
Curiously, the illustrations on the vivid stickers are not coincidental: each features a scientific illustration by Denitsa Peneva of a species discussed in a publication from across Pensoft’s scholarly portfolio – a nod to the authors who chose one of our journals to share their research.
Individual-Based Ecology and Agricultural and Environmental Modelling on focus at ECCB 2026.
A particular highlight was our trio of diamond open-access journals, free to publish in and free to read, that drew considerable interest from attendees:
Individual-Based Ecologypromotes a distinctive individual-based perspective on ecology, aiming to bridge individual behaviour and broader ecological patterns.
Advances in Pollinator Research covers the full spectrum of pollinator science, from pollination ecology to conservation, designed as an innovative platform for the full spectrum of pollinator science, from pollination ecology and pollinator-plant interactions to molecular ecology, conservation and more.
Agricultural and Environmental Modelling, meanwhile, offers an innovative approach to publishing, dedicated to advancing both the science and practice of modelling across Agriculture, Food Systems, Natural Resources, and Environmental Sciences.
Familiar faces at the stand
Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Nature Conservation, Dr. Annegret Grimm-Seyfarth, at Pensoft’s booth at ECCB 2026.
Prof. Davy McCracken, Subject Editor at Nature Conservation.
Dr. Niels Raes, project coordinator of Biodiversity Meets Data at ECCB 2026.
Martina Viti and Annika Zuleger, authors that have published across Pensoft’s journal at ECCB 2026.
Our booth was visited by Nature Conservation’s Deputy Editor-in-Chief Annegret Grimm-Seyfarth. Earlier that week, she also co-organised a symposium, “How can Wildlife Detection Dogs contribute to effective biodiversity conservation in Europe?” As well as one of Nature Conservation’s Subject Editor, Prof. Davy McCracken and Dr. Niels Raes, the project coordinator of Biodiversity Meets Data.
We also met one of our authors, Andra Neagu, in person. We recently ran a PR campaign on her and her team’s research analysing more than 1,100 media reports from 2007 to 2024 to uncover patterns in wildlife poaching across Romania, which you can read here.
Andra Neagu, an author at Nature Conservation at Pensoft’s booth at ECCB 2026.
Andra Neagu next to her scientific poster at ECCB 2026.
Looking ahead
Closing ceremony of ECCB 2026.
Closing ceremony of ECCB 2026.
It was a pleasure to be part of ECCB 2026 and to connect with so many researchers, policymakers, and practitioners working toward effective biodiversity conservation.
Save the date: SCB’s 33rd International Congress for Conservation Biology (ICCB 2027) will be held in Puebla, Mexico, at the end of June or beginning of July 2027.
Between 14-19 June, the 4th World Biodiversity Forum (WBF) brought together ~1,100 participants from 70 countries in Davos, Switzerland. This highly regarded event was held under the theme “Leading Transformation Together,” and united science, arts, society, and business across generations and fields to build the leadership and networks essential for effective biodiversity protection and resilience.
The event spanned 10 thematic tracks, covering topics such as biodiversity-ecosystem functioning, legislation and biodiversity, connecting science, society and practice, and many more.
The opening ceremony at the 4th World Biodiversity Forum in Davos, 2026.
Pensoft had the largest exhibition stand at the forum, and throughout the week it saw a steady flow of attendees interested in the company’s work across EU-funded projects and scholarly publishing, with dissemination materials for both on display.
Pensoft’s stand at the World Biodiversity Forum 2026
Pensoft’s stand at WBF 2026.
Pensoft’s stand at WBF 2026.
At the heart of Pensoft’s presence at the forum were four EU Horizon-funded projects working to turn biodiversity science into action on policy: BioAgora, OBSGESSION, B-Cubed, and OneStop.
As an active consortium partner in each, Pensoft draws on decades of experience in science communication, stakeholder engagement, and data management to help move that work forward. The stand also featured two further policy-oriented projects, CO-OP4CBD and RESPIN,
Attendees also had the chance to learn more about the ARPHA Platform, Pensoft’s self-developed end-to-end publishing solution that streamlines the entire editorial workflow – from manuscript submission and peer review through to editing, publication, and archiving – ultimately making research easy for both people and machines to access, cite, and reuse.
Brochures for Pensoft’s journals featuring the beautiful illustrations by Denitsa Peneva.
Attendees were able to speak directly with members of the Pensoft team, who were on hand to walk them through the journals’ scope, submission processes, and the broader vision behind the diamond open-access model – publishing that is free for both authors and readers.
Journals and brochures published by Pensoft featuring illustrations by Denitsa Peneva.
Aleksandra Korcheva presenting at World Biodiversity Forum 2026
Aleksandra Korcheva presenting at World Biodiversity Forum 2026
Desislava Raykova presenting at WBF 2026.
The presentation explored how a shared narrative can drive collaboration and increase impact among policy-oriented projects working at the science-policy interface, showing how such efforts can be brought to life through policy briefs, illustrations, and interactive science-policy events. The talk drew on communication successes from B-Cubed, OBSGESSION, OneStop, BioAgora, RESPIN and CO-OP4CBD.
This year’s forum offered an opportunity to forge strong networks across policy, science, arts, and business – catalysing future action and, in doing so, to leading transformation together. The next World Biodiversity Forum will be in 2028, so stay tuned to learn more from us!
The accumulation of leaf litter from this invasive alien plants facilitates the development of the larvae of the common mosquito, a species of ecological and public health concern.
Guest blog post by Alberto Maceda-Veiga and Rosa Martínez
Reed, an invasive alien plant that is abundant on the banks of many rivers, ponds and canals, can encourage the growth of common mosquito populations in the absence of natural predators. When the plant’s litter accumulates, the chemical properties of the water and the composition of the biological communities in the environment change radically, and this facilitates the development of mosquito larvae in freshwater ecosystems.
This is one of the conclusions of a study published in the journal NeoBiota and led by Professor Alberto Maceda-Veiga, a member of the FORESTREAM Research Group at the Faculty of Biology and the Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio) at the University of Barcelona.
The study, whose lead author is Oriol Cano-Rocabayera, involved collaboration from experts at the Institute for Agri-Food Research and Technology (IRTA-UAB), the Mosquito Control Service (SCM) of El Baix Llobregat Regional Council, the University of Seville, the Doñana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC), the Goethe University (Frankfurt, Germany), the University of Florida (United States) and the universities of Cardiff and Chester (United Kingdom).
More mosquitoes if the invasive reed is present
Schematic food web of the trophic cascade resulting from leaf litter decomposition and the interaction between microeukaryotes and mosquito larvae. Microeukaryotes can be prey, trophic competitors, and parasites and potentially alter the internal microbiota of mosquito larvae through changes in waterborne bacteria and fungi. Represented microeukaryotes are testate amoeba, a. Naked amoeba; b. Euglenid flagellate; c. Bodonid flagellate; d. Planktonic ciliate, e; crawling ciliates; f. Sessile ciliate; g. and micrometazoa (small metazoa): nematoda, h. and oligochaeta, i. Credit to Cano-Rocabayera et al., 2026.
The ecological impacts of invasive riparian plants at the ecosystem level are not yet fully understood, beyond their impact on specific groups of organisms or on environmental conditions. In addition to altering biodiversity and the composition of the natural environment, exotic and invasive riparian vegetation can affect human well-being.
In the study, the team used experimental aquariums (microcosms) to analyse the ecological impact of replacing native common reed (Phragmites australis) with giant reed (Arundo donax), a species classified as invasive and similar in appearance.
In the presence of A. donax, the mosquito larvae survived longer and grew larger and faster. Behind this increase lies the proportion of A. donax leaf litter, which altered the water’s physicochemical properties and the composition of populations of organisms known as microeukaryotes — protozoa, fungi and other microscopic organisms – which are essential to the functioning of the ecosystem.
The study highlights a dramatic ecological effect, even at low concentrations of A. donax compared with P. australis. “This effect was catalysed by changes in water quality and in the abundance of certain groups of microeukaryotes, such as flagellates and amoebae, which form part of the microbial food webs on which the larvae of the common mosquito Culex pipiens feed,” says Professor Alberto Maceda-Veiga, from the UB’s Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences.
“It is important to remember — he continues — that the common mosquito can act as a vector for diseases of medical and veterinary significance. Identifying which plants encourage the proliferation of mosquitoes helps us to understand the complex relationships that species form in nature and, in turn, helps pest control services to predict where they are most likely to find larvae and to apply control measures, where necessary, due to the risk to human health.”
Improving environmental management along river courses
The giant reed, an exotic and invasive plant, is capable of altering the ecological balance in the natural environment. Photo credit to Alberto Maceda-Veiga.
The reed, which can withstand high summer temperatures, typically produces a large amount of biomass and is even being used to generate alternative energy sources. Interestingly, in previous studies, the team had described the potential positive effects of the species, as it provides shelter and protection for native fish in rivers with typically poor coverage of riparian vegetation (Science of The Total Environment, 2025).
Now, the findings of this study shed light on an unexpected aspect of the ecological impact of this invasive plant in riparian areas.
In freshwater ecosystems most severely affected by chemical pollution, the natural aquatic predators of the larvae – such as fish and dragonflies – are often absent. Many larvae mean many adult mosquitoes, which can cause nuisance to humans and even pose health risks.
In light of these new findings, the authors suggest prioritizing the initial eradication of A. donax in infested areas and restoring these sites with native vegetation such as P. australis, as well as encouraging future studies to determine the breeding preferences of mosquitoes in these habitats and their interactions with their natural predators.
When the eradication of an invasive species is not feasible, we turn to mitigation measures to reduce its impact. In the case of mosquitoes, we must not give in to alarmism. Firstly, we must remember that in nature, mosquitoes have many predators, as they are a natural part of food webs. Secondly, we have some fantastic mosquito control services, such as the Baix Llobregat SCM participating in this study, which ensure that mosquitoes do not become a problem in areas with high human traffic, such as cities and the marshes of peri-urban environments.
concludes Maceda-Veiga
Original source:
Cano-Rocabayera O, Bonilla YY, Salvadó H, Garcia-Bargalló M, Sobhy IS, Berry C, Vilà M, Sabater F, Aranda C, Maceda-Veiga A (2026) Invasive plant-induced shifts in water chemistry and microeukaryotes enhance mosquito development. NeoBiota 106: 265-286. https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.106.167149
Once again, Pensoft joined the ESP conference as an open-access scholarly publisher, publishing services provider, and a partner at Horizon Europe consortia.
Conference Organising Committee’s Davina Vačkářová thanks the ESP2026EU’s sponsors, exhibitors and partners. Photo courtesy of the ESP.
From 18 to 22 May 2026, the historic city of Prague, Czechia, hosted the 6th European Conference of the Ecosystem Services Partnership (ESP). Set against a backdrop of global turning points, such as biodiversity declines and climate uncertainty, the event served as an important forum for discussing how ecosystem services can cultivate a sustainable and equitable future.
This year’s ESP European conference ran under the theme “Advancing ecosystem services knowledge for achieving a nature- and people-positive Europe.” Photo courtesy of the ESP.
The conference ran under the theme, “Advancing ecosystem services knowledge for achieving a nature- and people-positive Europe.” Attendees focused on how to translate major policy frameworks, including the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030 and the new Nature Restoration Law, into inclusive and effective action that respects both nature and healthy ecosystems. A major talking point at the event was also the new path ahead of the ESP as it officially becomes an independent international community later in 2026. An election of a new Steering and Executive Committee has already been scheduled for October 2026.
For Pensoft, the ESP 2026 European conference was not only a wonderful occasion to meet once again many long-time partners and friends, including the ESP team itself; editors and loyal authors of our journals; and members of the international project consortia, where we are involved, but also an exciting opportunity to talk with new members of the ESP community and learn about the needs, interests and passions of a new generation of researchers in a rapidly changing scientific field.
Pensoft’s stand at the ESP 2026 Europe conference in Prague, Czechia.
As an open-science publisher well embedded in environmental research through its dozens of journals covering ecology, biodiversity conservation and other related fields, Pensoft Publishers also actively participated in the week’s dialogues, contributing unique perspectives on scientific communication.
The Karolinum: the seat of Prague’s Charles University hosted the pre-conference training sessions, the Opening ceremony and the Welcome reception on Monday. Photo courtesy of the ESP.
The sixth European installment of the conference kicked off on Monday, 18 May, at the Karolinum, the historic seat of Charles University. The energy of a dynamic, highly engaging week was set perfectly by a lavish evening ceremony filled with speeches from renowned local figures, traditional music, and cultural performances. Yet, long before the opening notes played, the Karolinum was already buzzing, having hosted a full slate of pre-conference training sessions throughout the day.
A get-together for the editors and loyal authors of the open-access peer-reviewed One Ecosystem – the Ecology and Sustainability Data Journal took place on Monday at the Karolinum (Prague, Czechia).
Just ahead of the opening ceremony, our team at Pensoft hosted a semi-formal get-together for the editors and loyal authors of the open-access peer-reviewed One Ecosystem – the Ecology and Sustainability Data Journal. This year, the scholarly outlet, launched in collaboration between Pensoft, the ESP and the ESMERALDA Horizon 2020 project, now succeeded by the Horizon Europe-funded project SELINA, celebrated its tenth anniversary.
Chaired by Editor-in-Chief Prof. Benjamin Burkhard and Pensoft’s Head of Journal Development and PR Iva Boyadzhieva, the meeting recapped the best moments from One Ecosystem’s first decade and inspired discussions and ideas for the journal’s future. They also referred to the recently published editorial titled “Ten years of innovation and the way ahead in scientific publishing in One Ecosystem”. The piece reflects on the journal’s journey since its 2016 launch and addresses modern challenges in academic publishing, such as reviewer fatigue and the rapid rise of generative artificial intelligence.
Over the last ten years, One Ecosystem has established itself as a unique journal in the field, thanks to its commitment to openly sharing the research data underpinning each publication. It also offers a versatile range of article types. These include traditional formats (e.g. Research Article, Review Article, Data Paper), innovative options (e.g. Software Description, R Package, Single-media Publication), as well as ones specifically devised for the community, such as Ecosystem Inventory, Ecosystem Service Mapping and Ecosystem Accounting Table.
So far, the journal has published over 200 papers authored by scientists from all continents, accumulating more than 1,500,000 views, 600 citations, and 6,000 online mentions. Today, the journal’s editorial board comprises 50 experts representing diverse geographies and professional fields. One Ecosystem is indexed in over 60 relevant scholarly databases, including Scopus and Web of Science, and holds a Q1 ranking on Scopus. Authors also benefit from a swift turnaround time, with an average of just 2.5 months from submission to acceptance, and articles typically published within three months of submission.
Keynote speeches at the first conference day were delivered by Jakub Kronenberg (University of Lodz), Alessandra La Notte (Senior consultant on natural capital accounting) and Ben Delbaere (LIFE Programme).
On Tuesday, the main schedule opened with inspiring keynote speeches, with Jakub Kronenberg (University of Lodz) examining the transition towards relational values of nature, Alessandra La Notte (Senior consultant on natural capital accounting) sharing two decades of insights into natural capital accounting, and Ben Delbaere (LIFE Programme at ELMEN EEIG) demonstrating how the European LIFE Programme supports a nature- and people-positive society.
Later in the day on Tuesday, Pensoft’s Iva Boyadzhieva, Head of Journal Development and PR, gave a talk on the topic of scholarly communication as part of a session organised and hosted by the Early Career Researchers (ECR) division of the ESP: Young Ecosystem Services Partnership (YESS) and focused on building practical skills and fostering careers for young researchers.
Pensoft’s Iva Boyadzhieva gave a talk titled “Scholarly Communication: Lessons from the publisher’s kitchen” as part of the YESS session “The Early Career Lab: Skills, Identity, and Growth for the Next Generation of Ecosystem Services Researchers”.
Boyadzhieva shared insights into how authors and publishers can work collaboratively to transform scholarly publications into scientific knowledge that is accessible to everyone, everywhere, regardless of professional background or expertise, by drawing on real-life examples and automated publication processes.
One Ecosystem’s Editor-in-Chief Prof. Benjamin Burkhard.
One Ecosystem’s Editor-in-Chief Prof. Benjamin Burkhard at the ESP session “The Changing Landscape of Academic Publishing on Ecosystem Services Research: Editors’ Perspectives.”
The One Ecosystem journal took center stage once again on Friday afternoon during a panel session titled, “The Changing Landscape of Academic Publishing on Ecosystem Services Research: Editors’ Perspectives.” The event brought together the Editors-in-Chief of the three ESP-associated journals for an engaging open discussion about the shifting dynamics of scientific literature. Sharing insights gained from One Ecosystem’s 10-year journey, Burkhard highlighted how authors of research who work closely with their publishers can support knowledge sharing and empower researchers. In the case of One Ecosystem, this collaboration translates to increased visibility, discoverability, reusability and citability of the published work, as well as rapid and hassle-free authoring and peer review experience, all thanks to the automated workflows and human-centric approaches provided through the publishing solutions of the ARPHA publishing platform.
It is worth issuing a reminder that manuscripts submitted in 2026 and accepted for publication in One Ecosystem journal are eligible for a 10% discount on the article publication charge (APC).
Despite excellent on-site organization, many sessions struggled to accommodate the massive turnout.Photo courtesy of the ESP.
Throughout the week, the daily program featured eight parallel session tracks covering a wide range of topics, many closely aligned with ESP Working Groups and National Networks. A dedicated poster session took place on Wednesday afternoon.
One of the field excursions offered ESP 2026 Europe delegates the challenge of an intense, half-day climbing experience in a nature park just outside Prague. Photo courtesy of ESP.
On Thursday, delegates had the opportunity to join one of several field excursions. These ranged from a visit to the unique rewilding reserve located in the former military area in Milovice, to a walk through the Prague Pasture: one of the city’s most remarkable natural sites, and an intense climbing experience just outside Prague.
Zdeněk Ent was awarded Best Poster for his poster, “Experiencing Ecosystem Services: Art, Sensory Engagement and Transformative Learning in Peri-Urban Landscapes”. In a yearly tradition, part of the award includes a free publication in the One Ecosystem journal.
Following an ESP tradition, the three highest-voted posters were recognised during Friday’s closing ceremony, with the first-prize winner receiving a free publication in One Ecosystem, sponsored by Pensoft. This year, the Best Poster Award went to Zdeněk Ent from Prague Institute of Planning and Development for the poster “Experiencing Ecosystem Services: Art, Sensory Engagement and Transformative Learning in Peri-Urban Landscapes”.
During the week, Pensoft’s exhibition stand welcomed dozens of inquiries regarding the publisher’s tailored journal portfolio. Visitors also expressed keen curiosity about the publishing services and self-developed platform available to journal owners, book authors, and conference organizers. Meanwhile, delegates showed notable interest in several titles, both well-established journals like Nature Conservation, NeoBiota, Metabarcoding & Metagenomics and One Ecosystem, and newly launched ones, including Individual-based Ecology and Advances in Pollinator Research.
A lot of Pensoft stand’s visitors were also pleased to see that there was a new player amongst the journals of Pensoft aimed at an emerging field in ecology. The recently rebranded Agricultural and Ecological Modelling (AEM) provides a unique scholarly outlet thanks to its modern approach to publishing by increasing transparency, giving credit to research objects across the entire modelling research lifecycle. This is achieved through publishing specialised article types, such as: Formal Model, Model Testing and Calibration, Model Implementation and Documentation, Data Papers and Software Descriptions. These new publishing formats are designed to keep pace with advances in Modelling research and to make it FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) by enabling scholarly credit for diverse research outputs, often created by different groups of authors. For the time being, AEM remains a Diamond Open Access journal, meaning that it will not charge authors for open-access publication.
AEM also has a focus on open science and reproducibility; it is currently archived in four databases (CLOCKSS, Zenodo, Portico, and Zendy) and indexed in over 40 services, including AGRICOLA, CABI, ChronosHub, CNKI, FAO AGRIS, ResearchGate, and Swisscovery, among others. You can learn more about AEM in the latest editorial.
For those who missed the opportunity to sign up for the journals’ newsletters at the stand, they can do this by filling in their email address from the homepage of the journal they are interested in, or by updating their profiles in the Pensoft system.
Undoubtedly, amongst the greatest highlights at the Pensoft’s stand was the Horizon Europe-funded GREEN TALENT project, where our Project Department leads the project’s Work Package dedicated to Communication, Dissemination and Exploitation.
The conference delegates were intrigued to learn about the international initiative’s aim to build biodiversity and climate capacity at national, trans-European and global levels, with a focus on Widening Countries. The partners at Green Talent: both from academic and non-academic backgrounds, are to contribute expertise, training, and secondments and connect pilot projects to broader EU and global networks. One of the ways the GREEN TALENT consortia does this is by designating four Demonstration Pilots (a.k.a. Demo Hubs) in four Widening countries: Malta, Greece, Cyprus and Bulgaria, where secondees can benefit from real-world experience and foster partnerships across sectors, while working on scalable solutions to climate and biodiversity challenges, acting as collaboration hubs between academic and non-academic sectors.
Members of the Horizon Europe-funded GREEN TALENT project consortium. Photo courtesy of ESP.
Having only kicked off a year ago and set to run for four years in total, there are many new developments and results yet to be announced from GREEN TALENT, including a Capacity-Building Platform that will allow users to browse various opportunities and events meant to help them improve their skills; to get in touch and foster collaboration with other experts; and to learn about best practices from across different institutions and relevant companies. This is why we strongly recommend visiting the GREEN TALENT, signing up for the project’s newsletter and following the initiative on BlueSky and Linkedin.
GREEN TALENT’s project coordinator, Prof. Dr. Mario V. Balzan, presented at a session dedicated to sustainable and inclusive approaches to ecosystem services tailored to the needs of islands.
In addition to the various GREEN TALENT information brochures and promo materials present at the Pensoft stand, people at the conference could spot quite a few of the project’s members around the ESP venue. There were several talks by GREEN TALENT representatives, including the project’s coordinator: Prof. Dr. Mario V. Balzan (Ecostack Innovations). His talk, part of the session “Islands at the forefront of sustainable and inclusive ecosystem services approaches” examined governance and knowledge gaps in pollinator ecosystem services on small islands, where he used Malta as a case study.
The signature journal stickers by Pensoft were once again a common sight at the ESP conference in Prague. Photo courtesy of ESP.
Ultimately, the conference successfully highlighted the tools needed to drive sustainable development across Europe. Through active contributions to both the overarching policy discussions and the targeted skill-building sessions for the next generation of researchers, Pensoft continued its commitment to making environmental science open, transparent, and globally accessible.
New research from NeoBiota uncovers an invasional mutualism between Western honey bees and myrtle rust, with potentially troubling consequences for Australia’s native ecosystems.
Every year on May 20th, the world celebrates World Bee Day, a date chosen to honour Anton Janša, an 18th-century pioneer of modern beekeeping who was born on this day in Slovenia, a country where beekeeping has been a cherished tradition for centuries. This year’s theme, “Bee Together for People and the Planet,” puts the spotlight on the partnership between humans and bees, and how collaboration, tradition, and innovation can help secure a sustainable future for both.
At Pensoft, we’re marking the occasion by shining a light on a threat that often goes unnoticed: the destabilisation of pollination networks. As ecosystems change and pathogens spread, sometimes carried by the very pollinators we rely on, the delicate web of relationships between plants and their pollinators is under pressure. Understanding bees and other pollinators as potential carriers of invasive plant diseases is becoming an increasingly important piece of the conservation puzzle.
Surprising Interaction
Apis mellifera on leaves with myrtle rust. Photo credit to Geoff S Pegg.
New research published in NeoBiota has found that the Western honey bee – an introduced species to Australia – and the devastating, invasive plant fungus known as myrtle rust (Austropuccinia psidii) may have formed a mutually beneficial relationship known as an “invasional mutualism.”
Myrtle rust is notorious for devastating ecologically and culturally significant native plants in the Myrtaceae family, putting 17% of Australia’s endemic vegetation at risk. While rust fungi generally rely strictly on wind to spread, researchers discovered that bees may actively forage on the bright yellow fungus spores, packing them into their pollen baskets and carrying them back to the hive just as they would regular pollen.
Researcher taking samples from a beehive. Photo credit to Caroline Hauxwell.
Beehive in the forest. Photo credit to Caroline Hauxwell.
Through a series of experiments, the team made three significant findings. Firstly, the rust spores proved to be quite nutritious. They contained over 22% protein and all 10 essential amino acids, meeting the threshold required for bee colonies to survive. In fact, the fungus matched the nutritional quality of high-value floral pollen, like willow pollen.
In laboratory feeding trials, larvae raised on a diet of myrtle rust spores grew up perfectly healthy, developing at the same speed and reaching similar body weights as bees raised on a traditional high-quality pollen diet. As the researchers explain:
These findings suggest that spore foraging may not be an aberration, but a viable foraging strategy for honey bees.
And perhaps the most alarming discovery is that the myrtle rust spores remain viable and capable of causing new plant infections for at least nine days inside a beehive which could pose significant biosecurity risks
A Devastating Ecological Feedback Loop
Taking samples from a beehive. Photo credit to Caroline Hauxwell.
This discovery challenges the assumption that invasive species always act independently, and it carries major environmental consequences. As myrtle rust kills off keystone taxa in the Myrtaceae family, such as eucalypts, paperbarks, and other ecologically and culturally significant species, particularly in Australia, fewer flowers and less pollen become available for bees to forage on. Beyond the direct biodiversity loss, as the fungus kills these plants, fewer flowers and less pollen are available for the bees.
Under such conditions, bees may increasingly turn to alternative protein sources, such as fungal urediniospores,
the researchers explain.
This could set off a devastating ecological feedback loop.
“Over time, this dynamic may destabilise plant-pollinator networks and forest regeneration, particularly in regions with high Myrtaceae endemism.” They add: “While generalist foragers like A. mellifera may buffer their colony health by switching to spores or non-Myrtaceae pollen sources, the long-term ecological cost could be substantial, especially for specialist pollinators that lack such flexibility.“
The risks extend beyond ecosystems. Because spores remain viable inside a hive for over a week, commercial beehives – regularly transported across the country over three to seven days to pollinate crops – now represent a significant pathway for human-assisted spread of the pathogen.
As the lead author, Sacchi Shin-Clayton (University of Cambridge) emphasises:
Apis mellifera is an introduced species used as a commercial pollination agent worldwide, and shifting honey bee colonies between agricultural sites to boost pollination has become a standard practice. This reliance on honey bee colonies and shifting between multiple sites is quite concerning, given the demonstrated interaction between A. mellifera and myrtle rust, and its longevity within colonies.
Despite this, current biosecurity strategies for managing myrtle rust do not account for the movement of commercial beehives, leaving a critical gap in disease management approaches.
We propose that honey bees be explicitly considered in both epidemiological models and the formulation of management and containment strategies,
the researchers urge.
Recognising pollinators as potential vectors of invasive plant pathogens is an essential next step – one that could prove critical for protecting Australia’s vulnerable native forests.
This World Bee Day is a timely reminder that our relationship with bees is more complex than it might seem. Protecting them and the ecosystems they move through will require us to understand that complexity better.
Original source:
Shin-Clayton S, Mortensen AN, Beggs JR, Buxton MN, Hauxwell C, Bateson MF, Jochym M, Pegg GS, Pattemore DE (2026) Honey bees as potential vectors of the invasive rust pathogen Austropuccinia psidii: nutritional mutualism and implications for pathogen spread. NeoBiota 106: 75-90. https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.106.169027
Citizen science helps researchers map the plant-pollinator networks in Chile following the introduction of non-native pollinators.
Biological invasions are a major driver of biodiversity loss and invasive pollinators can reshape native plant-pollinator networks. A new study published in the journal NeoBiota, reveals that invasive pollinators are fundamentally reshaping native plant-pollinator networks in Chile, leading to a “silent takeover” that threatens the stability of one of the world’s most unique biodiversity hotspots.
Chile functions as a “biogeographical island,” isolated by the Andes Mountains, the Atacama Desert, and the Pacific Ocean. While this isolation has created a highly specialized ecosystem, it also makes the region particularly sensitive to change.
Despite this vulnerability, Chile has a long history of introducing non-native bees for agricultural purposes. A collaborative team of Chilean and Brazilian researchers sought to understand and quantify the long-term impact of these introductions, specifically focusing on how non-native pollinators like the Bombus terrestris (the buff-tailed bumblebee) affect native species.
Tracking the “Silent Takeover”
Western honeybee (Apis mellifera). Credit to Dr. Francisco Fontúrbel.
Buff-tailed bumblebee(Bombus terrestris). Credit to Dr. Francisco Fontúrbel.
To assess the impact, researchers analyzed over 2,100 records, merging historical scientific data with citizen-science data. They focused on three non-native species: the western honeybee (Apis mellifera), the buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris), and the large garden bumblebee (Bombus ruderatus).
The motivation was to understand whether these invasions were simply adding species to the system or quietly transforming it from within.
еxplains Dr. Rafaela Cabral Marinho, the lead author of the study
The study’s key finding points to the overwhelming dominance of Bombus terrestris, which accounted for more than 70% of recorded interactions in the combined dataset.
That level of integration into a national pollination network is remarkable for a relatively recent invader.
notes Dr. Barbara Guimarães, one of the researchers
Аlso, the invasive bees showed strong interaction with non-native plants and displayed highly generalist behavior. To further measure the impact on pollination networks, the team compared data from before and after 2005, the year B. terrestris began to be used extensively in open fields. They identified a concerning shift: native species like Bombus dahlbomii were being gradually displaced.
The networks did not collapse; instead, they became more generalized and homogenized. Native bees were not always disappearing completely. The system kept functioning, but in a different way. This quiet reorganization is what led us to describe the process as a ‘silent takeover.
explain the researchers
The power of citizen science
Citizen science. Photo credit to Pavel Borodenkov from Unsplash.
The study also highlighted the vital role of public engagement.
We were surprised by the volume and value of citizen science contributions, and how they can provide meaningful insights when combined with research data.
says Dr. Fontúrbel, one of the researchers
This proved that citizen science is an essential tool for detecting and tracking the spread of invasive species in ecosystems, providing direct information for conservation actions.
A call for interaction-based conservation
Western honeybee (Apis mellifera). Credit to Dr. Francisco Fontúrbel.
One key takeaway is that biological invasions are not always catastrophic overnight events. They can be gradual reorganizations of ecological relationships. While invasive bees may increase pollination for certain crops, they can simultaneously reduce the specialization and stability of native mutualisms. Over time, this may lead to biotic homogenization, ecosystems becoming more similar to one another and less unique.
add the researchers
“Our research highlights that conservation is not only about protecting species, but it is also about protecting interactions,” they conclude.
The researchers advocate for coordinated policies regarding species introductions, early detection monitoring, and continued public engagement to safeguard the integrity of Chile’s biodiversity.
Original source:
Marinho RC, Guimarães BMdaC, Carvallo GO, Maruyama PK, Murúa MM, Rech AR, Vieli L, Oliveira PE, Fontúrbel FE (2026) Silent takeover: How invasive bees reshaped plant-pollinator interactions in a biodiversity hotspot. NeoBiota 105: 259-274. https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.105.174573
271 established non-native species in Turkey with an increased risk of invasiveness under future climate warming scenarios.
A team of researchers, led by Dr. Ali Serhan Tarkan, has published the first nationwide assessment of established non-native species in Türkiye in the journal NeoBiota.
The study identifies 271 species that may pose significant threats to the country’s biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and socio-economic systems, providing a crucial baseline for future conservation and biosecurity efforts.
Using a recent global database of non-native established species, the researchers initially identified 1,092 non-native species within Turkish borders. Through a rigorous review by taxonomic experts, the team filtered out native, cryptogenic, and non-established species, narrowing the focus to 271 confirmed established species.
Invasive freshwater fish (Carassius gibelio). Photo credit to: Esra Baycelebi.
Of these, marine species are by far the most prevalent, with 198 classified as strictly marine, followed by 42 terrestrial and 27 freshwater species. This trend reflects Türkiye’s extensive coastlines along the Black, Aegean, and Mediterranean seas, which offer vast ecological niches.
Furthermore, the coastal regions, characterized by dense populations, robust economies, and intensive trade networks, create multiple human-mediated pathways that can facilitate the introduction and establishment of non-native species.
Number of established species in each administrative area of Türkiye based on GBIF records. Gray areas represent administrative areas without non-native species based on GBIF. The marine area represents the Exclusive Economic Zone (extracted from Marine Regions marineregions.org, Flanders Marine Institute 2023). Credit to Tarkan et al., 2026.
The assessment also revealed a clear west-to-east gradient, with non-native species concentrated in the western part of the country and decreasing toward the east. The highest concentrations were found in Kayseri and Muğla, each hosting 37 established species, followed closely by Antalya with 34.
In terms of biogeographic distribution, nearly half of the established species originated from the Indo-Malayan realm, followed by the Australasian realm.
A significant concern raised by the researchers is the substantial impact gap in national reporting. Specifically, the majority of established non-native species in Türkiye had no reported impacts (n = 224; 83%), although this number decreased to 157 (59%) at the global scale.
Doughnut plot indicating the species by (a) impacts and (b) impact mechanisms. Credit to Tarkan et al., 2026.
While only 17% of established species currently have documented impacts within Türkiye, 41% of these same species are known to cause impact elsewhere.
These findings suggest that many species in Türkiye have not yet undergone formal impact assessments. Among those with known effects, ecological and environmental damages were the most frequently cited, primarily driven by biological mechanisms such as competition, predation, and rapid growth.
The outlook for species already established in Türkiye is particularly concerning. Currently, 50% of the 62 species screened using the Aquatic Species Invasiveness Screening Kit pose a high to very high risk of invasiveness. These proportions are projected to exceed 60% under future climate warmingscenarios.
Coordinated national efforts will be essential to mitigate the long-term impacts on Türkiye’s biodiversity and ecosystems.
the researchers conclude
The study therefore underscores the urgent need for systematic monitoring, improved impact assessments, and climate-informed risk management strategies.
Original source:
Tarkan AS, Yapıcı S, Kurtul I, Błońska D, Vilizzi L, Baş Sermenli H, Farooq S, Aldemir C, Uçma Uysal T, Giannetto D, Bilge G, Çiftçioğlu M, Najafi-Majd E, Aktay-Sözüer L, Kaya C, Bayçelebi E, Aydın İ, Haubrock PJ, Briski E, Soto I (2026) The first national assessment of established non-native species in Türkiye. NeoBiota 105: 297-317. https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.105.176362
