This paper explores global patterns of invasions, introduction pathways and associated legislative responses for invasive alien species (IAS) based on the most comprehensive databases currently available. Current patterns suggest that Africa and Central Asia are priority areas for future IAS research and control. Policy responses towards IAS show an increasing desire from the international community to act on species invasions. Dominant pathways for species invasions are similar across different regions.

Main conclusionsĬlear global patterns in the distributions of IAS are determined, supporting arguments emphasizing the role of colonial history, economic development and trade in driving the human-mediated movement of species. Large increases in legislation on IAS have occurred since the 1990s, particularly for those countries that have high numbers of species invasions. The dominant pathway for species invasions was horticulture and the nursery trade, with 31% of the species introduced outside of their natural geographical range. Of the 1517 recorded IAS, 39% were introduced only intentionally and 26% only unintentionally, 22% both intentionally and unintentionally, while 13% had no information available.

Substantial variation in the spatial patterns of invasion was determined, with the Global North, some newly industrialized countries and small tropical islands being the main recipients of IAS and asymmetry (Κ) being highest in New World countries and small islands. A novel indicator of the asymmetry between each country's ‘ingress/egress’ of IAS (kappa, Κ), was developed to further explore spatial patterns. Patterns of recorded species invasions and pathways of introduction were mapped and visualized using data from the Global Invasive Species Database (GISD) and the CABI Invasive Species Compendium (CABI ISC), along with associated legal instruments relevant to IAS compiled from the ECOLEX database. Director of photography Hagen Bogdanski has previously worked on prestige films, including “The Lives of Others” and “The Young Victoria,” and he helps “Alien Invasion: S.U.M.1” up its game with impressive shots, including some fun first-person perspectives and a palette of grays and greens.To use global databases to (1) provide a visualization of global geographical patterns of species invasions, origins and pathways and (2) depict the international uptake of legislative and policy responses to invasive alien species (IAS).

The special effects in this low-budget thriller often show their seams, but not enough to remove the audience from the experience and the largely strong visuals. S.U.M.1 (Rheon) is on his first mission, and the isolation begins to eat away at him as he tries to discover what happened to his predecessor. In a post-apocalyptic future, an alien invasion has driven most of the survivors underground, with soldiers doing lonely 100-day tours of duty to patrol the surface for human stragglers and alien attackers. With its uninspired ending, “Alien Invasion: S.U.M.1” squanders its cool concept and a compelling, nearly solo performance by Iwan Rheon. This bleak but ambitious sci-fi film from Christian Pasquariello starts strong, but falters in its final act.

2017 alien invasion