Predicting biodiversity impacts of plant invasion in a changing environment

Invasive species cost the Australian economy over $9 billion each year and are the leading cause of biodiversity loss and species extinctions in the country. With over 20 new alien plant species being introduced into Australia each year and with climate change favouring invasive species over native ones, these impacts are expected to worsen. Despite this huge and growing problem, there are no reliable methods for identifying which species and ecosystems are most at risk, and which management actions can most effectively help. This project aims to fill this need by developing an approach for accurately predicting combined impacts of plant invasion, climate change and land use on native vegetation. The project will use experiments and build models to generate robust predictions, focusing on grasslands in southern Australia, which are particularly valuable and under threat. Through the crea