The IPBES invasion-management framework supports informed decision-making for managing biological invasions

The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Thematic Assessment Report on Invasive Alien Species and Their Control presents a “conceptual diagram of management-invasion continuum”, introducing a versatile framework to support decision-making on the management of biological invasions. Drawing on an extensive synthesis of current knowledge, this IPBES invasion-management framework has been developed to broaden the scope of existing invasion curves—which primarily overlay generic management objectives onto a sigmoid curve depicting the expansion of the affected area over time—and to illustrate the applicability of the concept of effective management at different stages of the biological invasion process. To introduce the IPBES invasion-management framework to a wider audience, this paper explains the features of the framework and defines the invasion-stage-based management approaches and the potential outcomes envisaged therein. Reflecting the currently limited management options for biological invasions in marine and other connected-water systems, unlike in terrestrial and closed-water systems, the IPBES invasion-management framework clearly distinguishes between these two groups of systems. For each, it presents management approaches including three key factors that decision-makers should consider concurrently: management objectives, targets, and actions. This framework supports informed decision-making in the management of biological invasions in all ecosystems.