A wide variety of invasive alien species (IAS) threaten human livelihoods and biodiversity around the world. Increasing globalization facilitates IAS arrival, and environmental changes, including climate change, facilitate IAS establishment. Here, we provide the first global spatial analysis of the terrestrial threat from IAS in light of 21st century globalization and environmental change, and evaluate national capacities to prevent and manage species invasions.
Results/Conclusions
We find that one-sixth of the global land surface is highly vulnerable to invasion, including substantial areas in developing economies and biodiversity hotspots. The dominant invasion vectors differ between high-income countries (imports, particularly of plants and pets) and low-income countries (air travel). Most countries have limited capacity to prevent or mitigate invasions. Uniting data on introduction and establishment factors locally can improve early-warning and eradication schemes. In particular, we identify a clear need for proactive invasion strategies in areas with high poverty levels, high biodiversity, and low historical levels of invasion.