Invasion Syndromes: transforming the understanding and management of biological invasions
Call
Duration
02/02/2026 – 01/02/2029
Total grant
Approx. 1.5 mil. €
More information
Partners of the project
- Functional Ecology Group, Experimental Station in Arid Zones of the Spanish National Research Council, Almería, Spain
- Department of Invasion Ecology, Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Pruhonice, Czech Republic
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Ecology Lab, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei City, Taiwan
- Ecology and Zoology Department, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
- Centre for Statistics in Ecology, Environment and Conservation, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Urban and Rural Development, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Geosciences, Environment and Society, Bruxelles University, Bruxelles, Belgium
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa
- Centre for Science and Knowledge, Biodiversity Assessment and Knowledge Team, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Gland, Switzerland
- Department of Biology, Fribourg University, Fribourg, Switzerland
Context
Human activities are moving species around the world at an unprecedented rate. Most introduced species cause no harm, but a small proportion become invasive, spreading rapidly and damaging biodiversity, ecosystems, economies and human well-being. As a result, invasive species are now recognised as one of the main global drivers of biodiversity loss. Managing biological invasions is a major societal challenge, yet predicting which species will become invasive, and where, remains extremely difficult. Invasions are highly context-dependent, influenced by species traits, environmental conditions and humans. The InvaSyn project proposes a new approach to managing biological invasions based on identifying recurring ‘invasion syndromes’. By integrating ecological, social and economic information at a global scale, the project aims to develop practical, evidence-based strategies to support more effective responses to biological invasions.
Main objectives
- Group invasion events into shared ‘invasion syndromes’ based on similar causes, impacts and management needs.
- Collaborate with policymakers, managers, NGOs and local communities to improve invasive species policies and management.
Main activities
- Build a comprehensive global database on plant invasions, integrating ecological, social and economic information.
- Use machine learning to identify patterns and classify invasion events into distinct invasion syndromes.
- Hold workshops with policymakers, practitioners and communities to validate results and incorporate practical knowledge.
- Evaluate how the invasion syndromes approach can be incorporated into existing policies.
- Design tailored management options for each identified invasion syndrome.
- Share data and tools openly and communicate results through scientific and outreach activities.
By shifting the focus from individual invasions to broader invasion contexts, InvaSyn will help:
- make invasive species management more efficient and cost-effective;
- improve cooperation between scientists, policymakers and practitioners;
- enable proactive and effective responses to biological invasions.