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.生物入侵作为生物多样性丧失的驱动因素，近来受到了学界的质疑。从根本而言，我们必须明确受外来入侵物种（Invasive Alien Species, IAS）威胁的物种的栖息地分布，以及其受威胁的程度。本研究首次关联了来自完全修订版《全球入侵物种数据库》（Global Invasive Species Database）的、受200余种外来入侵物种威胁的1372种脊椎动物数据。针对受威胁脊椎动物对外来入侵物种的脆弱性所绘制的全新图谱，可用于评估外来入侵物种是否对生物多样性构成重大影响；若构成影响，则可进一步明确哪些分类类群受到威胁以及受威胁物种的分布区域。研究发现，受外来入侵物种威胁的脊椎动物的集中分布区域主要位于美洲、印度、印度尼西亚、澳大利亚与新西兰。受外来入侵物种威胁的物种分布区域，与当前的入侵热点区域及受威胁物种热点区域均未完全重合。作为生物多样性丧失驱动因素的生物入侵，其相对重要性显然因区域与类群而异，并随时间推移发生变化：印度、印度尼西亚、澳大利亚及欧洲的哺乳动物正日益受到外来入侵物种的威胁。壶菌（Chytrid fungus）主要威胁两栖动物，而入侵哺乳动物则主要威胁其他脊椎动物类群。不同区域与类群所面临的外来入侵物种威胁差异，可为精准防控外来入侵物种提供依据，而这对于实现《生物多样性公约》2020年战略计划至关重要。