Data from: Global patterns in threats to vertebrates by biological invasions

Biological invasions as drivers of biodiversity loss have recently been
challenged. Fundamentally, we must know where species that are threatened
by invasive alien species (IAS) live, and the degree to which they are
threatened. We report the first study linking 1,372 vertebrates threatened
by more than 200 IAS from the completely revised Global Invasive Species
Database. New maps of the vulnerability of threatened vertebrates to IAS
permit assessments of whether IAS have a major influence on biodiversity,
and if so, which taxonomic groups are threatened and where they are
threatened. We found that centres of IAS-threatened vertebrates are
concentrated in the Americas, India, Indonesia, Australia, and New
Zealand. The areas in which IAS-threatened species are located do not
fully match the current hotspots of invasions, or the current hotspots of
threatened species. The relative importance of biological invasions as
drivers of biodiversity loss clearly varies across regions and taxa, and
changes over time, with mammals from India, Indonesia, Australia, and
Europe are increasingly being threatened by IAS. The chytrid fungus
primarily threatens amphibians, whereas invasive mammals primarily
threaten other vertebrates. The differences in IAS threats between regions
and taxa can help efficiently target IAS, which is essential for achieving
the Strategic Plan 2020 of the Convention on Biological Diversity.