Project: Climate change and escaping ornamentals: Predicting the next generation of European plant invaders.
Most naturalized and harmful invasive alien plant species in Europe have once been intentionally introduced for ornamental purposes. Thus, it is likely that future plant invaders will also be recruited from those ornamental plants currently growing in our gardens. Ongoing climate change might create increasingly suitable conditions for many ornamental plants, particularly those with origins in warmer regions with more variable rainfall patterns. This may result in new invasions by formerly unproblematic ornamental plants. Identifying such “sleeping invaders” before they spread is highly desirable, and would give stakeholders (in particular invasive-plant managers and the ornamental plant industry) a head start in preventing future invasions. WhoIsNext will combine modelling with experiments to study a large number of ornamental plants. The project will assess which of these species will most likely establish and become invasive, and which regions of Europe will most likely be affected by invasions, under climate change.
| Acronym | WhoIsNext |
| Duration | 01/04/2014 - 31/05/2017 |
| Website | visit project website |
| Network | BiodivERsA2 |
| Call | BiodivERsA Call 2012-2013 on invasive species and biological invasions |
Project partner
| Number | Name | Role | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eberhard Karls University of Tubingen | Germany | ||
| National Center for Scientific Research and Joseph Fourier University | France | ||
| University of Konstanz | Coordinator | Germany | |
| University of Vienna | Austria |