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Invasive Alien Species
The Prototype Biodiversity Digital Twin (pDT) for Invasive Alien Species (IAS) is designed to dynamically project the potential distribution of invasive alien plant species across Europe. IAS pose significant threats to biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and human well-being, and these threats are expected to intensify with climate change and other aspects of Global Change. Traditional static models fall short in addressing the dynamic nature of invasions depending on abiotic drivers, particularly as conditions change with ongoing climate shifts. Accurate projections of potential invasions require models that can integrate real-time data and adapt to new information, thereby providing actionable insights for policy-makers and others to prevent or mitigate the impacts of these species. This pDT leverages joint species distribution models (jSDMs) to predict the level of plant invasion at the habitat level under current and future climate scenarios, offering a robust and dynamic solution for monitoring and managing these threats.
Invasive Alien Species and Digital Twin Models
Modelling and Data
The Prototype Biodiversity Digital Twin for Invasive Alien Species uses several data sources as well as advanced modelling techniques, including:
- Species Distribution Models to show the distribution of invasive plant species across Europe. These models are enhanced by incorporating habitat affinity and availability, providing more accurate projections of invasion levels across different habitat types.
- Climate data from the CHELSA database, land cover data from CORINE, and habitat information from various sources are used as predictors in the models. Road and railway intensities are also included to represent site accessibility and potential dispersal routes for invasive species.
- The pDT employs DDDAS-based workflows to regularly check for updates in data sources, process new information, and adjust model predictions accordingly. This ensures that the pDT remains up-to-date and relevant in a rapidly changing world.
Who can use the pDT?
The IAS pDT features a user-friendly dashboard that presents model outputs in the form of maps, figures, and tables. Users can explore the level of invasion across different habitats and climate scenarios.The dashboard is designed to be interactive, allowing users to customise their views based on their specific needs and interests.
Resources
Testimonials
In synergy with other anthropogenic drivers of environmental change, biological invasions cause global biotic impoverishment and loss of ecosystem services. We aim to capture the dynamics of alien species numbers in major terrestrial habitat types in Europe and project it into the future, thus providing a solid basis for proactive environmental management and policy-making.
Marina Golivets, UFZ
Involved partners
