Invasive plant species pose a major threat to biodiversity and ecosystem health worldwide. However, predicting the exact impact of these invasions is challenging due to the complexity of interactions between invading species, native communities, and impacted ecosystems.
To combat this issue, researchers from the University of Freiburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen have developed a framework to better assess the impact of invasive plant species on ecosystems.
Outlined in a study published in the open-access journal NeoBiota, the framework combines new technologies and techniques to learn and predict how invasive plants alter ecosystems over time and in different environments.
The new framework integrates several modern advancements:
Environmental mapping: Progress in remote sensing and ecological monitoring allow researchers to capture detailed information about the environmental conditions of invaded areas. Drones, satellites, and advanced sensory networks can be used to create detailed ecosystem maps, which show how invasive species interact with their environment.
Functional tracers: These are specific indicators that reflect changes in ecosystem functions caused by invasive species. For example, researchers can track the impact of nitrogen-fixing invasive plants on ecosystems using nitrogen isotopes.
Spatio-temporal modelling: By combining environmental data with new modelling techniques, such as AI, researchers can create detailed models showing the spread and impact of invasive species on ecosystems over time. Such models can predict how changes in environmental conditions, such as climate change, might influence an invasive species’ success.
Beyond scientific analysis, novel technologies also facilitate communication of ecological impacts, as the authors demonstrate in an animated 3D-video visualisation.
“The framework we’ve introduced offers researchers deeper insights into how invasive plant species interact with their environments, enabling more targeted management to lessen their ecological impact. We advocate for stronger collaboration between ecologists and technical experts to refine and expand these methods.
“Going forward, further research and integration of the wide range of recent methods and tools are needed to enhance the framework’s effectiveness.”
The research team behind the new framework: Christiane Werner, Christine Hellmann and André Große-Stoltenberg.
Original source
Werner C, Hellmann C, Große-Stoltenberg A (2024) An integrative framework to assess the spatio-temporal impact of plant invasion on ecosystem functioning. NeoBiota 94: 225-242. https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.94.126714