Identifying characteristics that enable species to become invasive across aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems

Biological invasions are considered the second greatest threat to biodiversity after habitat destruction, and the number and impacts of invasive species are predicted to rise in the future. Introduced by humans, about 1% of non-native species have been reported as invasive (i.e. establish self-sustainable populations, reach high abundance, and spread quickly through large geographic areas). Knowing the characteristics that distinguish species that are invasive from species that are non-invasive is crucial for biosecurity risk assessment and for prioritizing management efforts. Non-native species likely to be invasive could be banned for import or targeted by managers, whereas non-invasive species that pose no ecological, economic or health threat could be largely ignored. Because of the threat of invasive species and the value of having a "character profile" of high risk species, considerable effort has gone into identifying characteristics associated with invasive species. Despite some success, a definitive set of traits that reliably predicts invasiveness remains elusive and a universal approach for identifying invasive species is lacking [1]. Further, very few connections have been made between the types of species that become invasive across different types of ecosystems [2].
This project will examine the similarities and differences among species that are invasive and non-invasive across ecosystem types and taxonomic groups, with the aim of identifying a common set of characteristics or life strategies shared by all invasive species