The Global Naturalized Alien Flora

This project aims to deepen scientific understanding of global plant invasions by expanding and refining the Global Naturalized Alien Flora (GloNAF) database and integrating it with complementary global datasets. The research will answer key questions in invasion science, macroecology, and conservation, focusing on alien plant traits, spatial and temporal invasion patterns, and the role of protected areas (PAs) in mitigating biological invasions. The project is structured into four major work packages (WPs): WP1 Updating and Expanding GloNAF (University of Konstanz): This package ensures that GloNAF remains the most comprehensive database of naturalized vascular plants worldwide. Task 1.1 updates regional plant lists to include new data and refine spatial resolution across 1,343 regions (984 non-overlapping). Task 1.2 adds and harmonizes species trait data by integrating GloNAF with major trait databases (AusTraits, BIEN, GIFT, TRY) and literature sources. The team will fill data gaps, especially for key functional traits such as leaf size and specific leaf area, which are essential for later analyses. WP2 Characteristics of Naturalized Plants (University of Konstanz): This WP explores biological and ecological factors driving naturalization success. Task 2.1 examines how native species commonness (range size, local abundance, habitat breadth) predicts global invasiveness using European vegetation plot data. Task 2.2 investigates whether threatened and invasive plants represent opposite ends of a functional trait spectrum by comparing their traits and phylogenetic distances. Task 2.3 evaluates whether alien plants exhibit similar geographical trait patterns to natives, testing if preadaptation explains their invasion success. WP3 Multidimensional Impacts of Alien Plants (University of Vienna): This WP studies historical and future invasion dynamics. Task 3.1 analyses how European colonial empires shaped the global redistribution of economically used plants, using linked data from GloNAF, the Empires Database, and the World Checklist of Useful Plants. Task 3.2 models current and future global impacts of invasive plants under climate change by combining species distribution projections with impact data (Bacher et al. 2024). It will produce spatially explicit maps identifying impact debt zones where future invasions are likely. WP4 Protected Areas and Plant Invasions (University of Vienna): This WP assesses the effectiveness of the global PA network in limiting invasions, aligning with the Kunming-Montreal 3030 biodiversity target. Task 4.1 tests whether alien plant richness is lower in PAs than in non-protected areas using GBIF and WDPA data, accounting for human pressure and protection level. Task 4.2 compares alien species composition inside and outside PAs using vegetation datasets (EVA, sPlotOpen) to identify ecological and anthropogenic drivers of invasion. Task 4.3 models optimal PA network expansion under climate change, incorporating invasion risk maps, ecosystem data, and human impact layers through conservation prioritization (Zonation approach). Overall Significance: By combining global data sources, innovative modelling, and interdisciplinary expertise, the project will enhance predictive understanding of plant invasions and inform global biodiversity policy. Its outcomes will refine invasion theory, improve early-detection and management strategies, and guide expansion of protected areas to mitigate future ecological impacts.