Background

As the climate changes and global trade intensifies…

…many species are moving – expanding their ranges locally as they track temperature shifts, and invading entirely new environments. Biological invasions are among the most concerning symptoms of environmental change, threatening native biodiversity, economies, and human health. Thus, protecting native habitat from current and future invasive species is critical for preserving unique local biodiversity and habitats, for the economy, and for our role as kaitiaki (guardians). However, determining the characteristics that underlie successful invasion is extremely difficult because we can rarely capture data that fully encapsulate why invasions fail or succeed.

Successful biological invasion requires a sequence of hurdles to be overcome by the invading species: introduction, establishment, and spread (see Figure). The likelihood of success relies on certain parameters of the initial invasion event (e.g. the number of invading individuals and their genetic fitness). The ability of the invasive species to tolerate new habitats is also critical, and this may be facilitated by pre-existing physiological and/or genetic features. Successful establishment and spread may also require rapid evolution in situ as the invasive species adapts to the new environment. Although combinations of these three elements underpin invasion success, their relative importance and degree of interaction with the ecological context (i.e. native versus invasive range) remain unclear. This uncertainty restricts our ability to predict and model invasion.

To date, most invasion biology research focuses on phenotypic or demographic aspects. Genomic approaches offer the potential to delve deeply into the roles of genetic architecture and genome evolution in promoting successful invasions. Recent research is showing tantalising associations between genome evolution and invasiveness. For example, expansions of key gene families could enhance invasive spread by expanding environmental breadth, such as diet, salinity and temperature. On the other hand, hybridisation between divergent species or populations can modulate invasion success through exchange of beneficial genes between locally-adapted and invasive species. Moreover, gene-gene interactions might play critical roles in range expansions.

At the Invasomics Hub, we aim to unite global researchers who are trying to understand the role of the genome in biological invasion. In particular, we hope that advanced genomic techniques will facilitate understanding of what it takes to be a successful invader by identifying drivers of invasive potential and species response to changing environments. With improved mechanistic understanding of invasion success, such research will pave the way for more effective approaches to invasive species management and biodiversity protection globally.