However, Lisa also emphasized the ecological damage that many of these species cause in their non-native range. Invasive mammals have been linked to the decline of native species through competition, predation, and habitat alteration. Her talk sparked a discussion on how conservation and invasion science should approach species that exist at both ends of the spectrum.

Midday

By midday, our group took part in the first poster session. Fabio Mologni presented his research on the cumulative impacts of invasive plant species in riparian ecosystems of British Columbia, Canada. His work focused on developing a systematic protocol to assess how multiple invasive species interact within these sensitive habitats. While some invaders might amplify each other’s effects, others could mitigate impacts, making it essential to study them in combination rather than in isolation. Using Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) and reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) as pilot species, he screened over 7,000 studies to identify patterns in research coverage, impact severity, and management responses. His findings highlighted significant research gaps, with some species extensively studied while others lacked impact assessments entirely. The protocol he developed could serve as a framework for prioritizing future research and management efforts.

Ekin Kaplan presented a global literature review on the trajectories of local vegetation change, synthesizing findings from nearly 5,000 re-survey studies conducted between 1834 and 2022. His review focused on changes in species richness and composition over time, revealing clear regional and habitat-specific trends. While species richness often remained stable in many studies, species composition changed significantly, reflecting shifts in dominant species and the increasing influence of non-native plants. His analysis showed that land-use change was the most frequently reported driver of vegetation shifts, followed by natural succession, climate change, and biological invasions. His work provides an overview of long-term biodiversity trends and identifies key knowledge gaps in global vegetation change research.

Afternoon & Evening

Enjoying a ginjinha with Adrián and Lisa, first introduced by monks in the 17th century, now a staple of Lisbon’s bar culture, served straight or with a soaked cherry at historic taverns

Dinner with Ali, Adrián, and Tom at a local Lisbon restaurant

One of the more memorable talks in the afternoon came with Petr Pyšek’s talk on plant invasions in the Kruger National Park. His presentation focused on how rivers serve as invasion corridors in South African savanna ecosystems, particularly for species like Xanthium strumarium, Datura innoxia, and Parthenium hysterophorus. These plants have rapidly spread along major river systems, raising concerns about their effects on vegetation, soil, and herbivores. What made this talk particularly engaging for me was the scale of his approach. He combined aerial mapping, high-resolution remote sensing, and long-term transect data to monitor the extent and dynamics of these invasions. The idea that biological invasions must be studied across multiple ecological levels resonated wtih me. I think we need more large-scale monitoring efforts to inform management decisions.

Núria Roura-Pascual gave the second keynote, shifting the focus to future management strategies for biological invasions in Europe. She took a scenario-based approach, analyzing different pathways for tackling invasions under varying levels of policy intervention, technological advancement, and public awareness. Her framework included 19 key goals, with four critical recommendations emerging as essential for long-term success: establishing a European biosecurity regime, improving communication strategies, standardizing data management, and developing a robust monitoring system. She stressed that proactive measures are necessary to manage biological invasions effectively. The talk provided a structured look at how invasion science must integrate across policy, society, and research to create sustainable long-term solutions.

Our first day come to a nice conclusion. Lisa’s talk on threatened alien mammals not only challenged conventional views on extinction risk but also sparked thoughtful debate about the role of invasive populations in conservation. Fabio’s work on collating evidence of cumulative impacts in riparian ecosystems provided a clear framework for understanding how multiple invaders interact in vulnerable habitats, while Ekin’s comprehensive literature review on local vegetation change offered a global perspective on how species composition shifts over time despite stable species richness.

After a long day of conference sessions, we took some time to soak in the local Portuguese culture. I joined Lisa and Adrian for a final ginjinha at a charming bar in Lisbon, where we enjoyed lively conversation about the city’s rich history and local specialties. It was a refreshing break from the academic rigor of the day, allowing us to appreciate the blend of science and culture that makes events like NEOBIOTA so memorable. Later in the evening, Ali, Adrián, Tom, and I went out for dinner at a local restaurant, enjoying good food and great Portuguese wine. The relaxed setting was a nice contrast to the fast-paced schedule of the conference, giving us time to unwind and talk about everything from research to travel plans. We left with a renewed sense of anticipation for Day 2.

September 5th - Second Day at the Conference

The second day started with a keynote by Elena Tricarico, who discussed how citizen science projects help involve local communities in tackling invasive species. She showed examples of how ordinary people significantly improved invasive species detection, and how this community involvement can lead to faster and better responses.

Following this, Anna Schertler from our group presented her research on alien fungal and fungus-like plant pathogens and their interactions with host plants. She explored how these pathogens form novel associations when introduced to new regions, often jumping to native or other alien plants. By combining large-scale datasets on plant and pathogen distributions, she analyzed the frequency of these biogeographically novel interactions, which can have significant ecological and agricultural consequences. Her findings showed that such associations are particularly common in species-rich regions, where a greater diversity of potential hosts increases the likelihood of new pathogen-host relationships. She also found that widely introduced pathogens with a broad host range are especially prone to forming new associations, making them more difficult to manage.

Poster presentation during lunch time

During lunch, I presented my own poster, showcasing our research on the accumulation of alien plant species across Central European fields over the past ninety years. It was a nice opportunity to discuss my work with other researchers in an informal setting, receiving helpful feedback and suggestions.

Our study focused on tracking the accumulation of old (archaeophytes) and new (neophytes) alien plant species in arable fields across ten Central European countries from 1930 to 2019. Using an extensive dataset of 21,747 vegetation plots from the AgriWeedClim database, we applied generalized linear mixed-effect models to analyze species trends at different spatial scales. At the regional scale, we examined the percentage of plots containing neophytes to assess broad patterns of invasion, while at the local scale, we analyzed the proportion and relative abundance of alien species per plot, providing insights into their increasing dominance.

The results revealed a clear divergence between neophytes and archaeophytes over time. The percentage of plots containing neophytes increased dramatically, from 34.2% in 1930 to 70.1% in 2019, while their proportion in plots nearly doubled from 5.5% to 10.2%, and their relative abundance rose from 4.1% to 9.9%. This indicates that neophytes are not only spreading across the landscape but also gaining a stronger foothold within individual fields. In contrast, archaeophytes showed a much more stable pattern, with their proportion rising only slightly from 23.2% to 25.3%, and their relative abundance declining from 21.2% to 19.5% over the same period.

A sensitivity analysis revealed that this rise in neophyte dominance was primarily driven by a few widespread species, such as Veronica persica and Erigeron annuus, which were frequently recorded throughout the study period. These findings suggest that neophytes are increasingly shaping weed communities in agricultural landscapes, with the potential to drive long-term changes in plant community composition. As neophytes continue to expand across both regional and local scales, their growing prevalence could homogenize weed communities.

During the poster session, Ali Omer from our group presented his work on the invasion risk of cultivated alien flora in Southern Africa under climate change. His study assessed how 1,527 alien plant species currently in cultivation might naturalize and spread in the future. Using species distribution models, he explored how climate change could alter the suitability of different biomes for these species. Unlike patterns observed in temperate regions, his findings suggest that rising temperatures and drier conditions may actually reduce invasion risks in most parts of Southern Africa, with only a few exceptions where certain alien species could still expand. However, already naturalized species remain a major concern, as they are likely to persist despite shifting climatic conditions. His poster sparked interesting discussions on how regional differences in climate responses shape invasion risks and what this means for management strategies in subtropical ecosystems.

Talks in the afternoon

In the afternoon, Franz Essl, the head of our group, gave a talk introducing a new perspective on the biogeography and macroecology of biological invasions in the Anthropocene. He discussed recent advances enabled by large-scale databases like GloNAF, which compiles detailed global data on alien plant distributions, and the Alien Species First Record database, which tracks spatiotemporal patterns of alien species introductions worldwide. By integrating these datasets with environmental and socio-economic variables, researchers can better understand why some regions experience more invasions than others and how invasion dynamics are shifting over time.

Franz Essl presenting on the global biogeography and macroecology of biological invasions in the Anthropocene

Franz emphasized that biological invasions are fundamentally linked to human activity, with trade routes, human movement patterns, and land-use changes acting as major drivers. He highlighted how economic globalization has accelerated the spread of non-native species, creating invasion pathways that are increasingly difficult to control. While progress has been made in identifying hotspots of invasion, significant gaps remain in predicting future trends, particularly regarding how climate change will interact with invasion processes.

His talk also touched on the need for a more coordinated global approach to managing invasions, calling for improved biosecurity measures, better early warning systems, and stronger links between invasion biology and policy-making.

Spending the last day walking through Lisbon with colleagues from our institute gave me time to process everything. The mix of old and new, seemed like a fitting backdrop after days of discussions and the challenges of doing research. It was a good way to end the trip before heading to the airport.