title: No saturation in the accumulation of alien species worldwide.
abstract: Although research on human-mediated exchanges of species has substantially intensified during the last centuries, we know surprisingly little about temporal dynamics of alien species accumulations across regions and taxa. Using a novel database of 45,813 first records of 16,926 established alien species, we show that the annual rate of first records worldwide has increased during the last 200 years, with 37% of all first records reported most recently (1970-2014). Inter-continental and inter-taxonomic variation can be largely attributed to the diaspora of European settlers in the nineteenth century and to the acceleration in trade in the twentieth century. For all taxonomic groups, the increase in numbers of alien species does not show any sign of saturation and most taxa even show increases in the rate of first records over time. This highlights that past efforts to mitigate invasions have not been effective enough to keep up with increasing globalization.
authors.affiliation: Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.|Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, Rennweg 14, 1030 Vienna, Austria.|Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, University of Oldenburg, Carl-von-Ossietzky Strasse 9-11, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Hanno
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-8993-6419
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Seebens
authors.affiliation: Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.|Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK.|School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia.|Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa.|Distinguished Scientist Fellowship Program, King Saud University, Riyadh 1145, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Tim M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Blackburn
authors.affiliation: Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.|Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK.
authors.forename: Ellie E
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-5331-4490
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Dyer
authors.affiliation: Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Via Vitaliano Brancati 48, 00144 Rome, Italy.|IUCN Species Survival Commission Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG), 00144 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Piero
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Genovesi
authors.affiliation: Bio-Protection Research Centre, Lincoln University, PO Box 85084, Lincoln, Christchurch 7648, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Philip E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Hulme
authors.affiliation: Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Müggelseedamm 310, 12587 Berlin, Germany.|Institute of Biology at the Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Strasse 1-3, 14195 Berlin, Germany.|Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Altensteinstrasse 34, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Jonathan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Jeschke
authors.affiliation: IUCN Species Survival Commission Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG), University of Auckland, Auckland 1072, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Shyama
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pagad
authors.affiliation: Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa.|Department of Invasion Ecology, Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Zámek 1, CZ-252 43 Průhonice, Czech Republic.|Faculty of Science, Department of Ecology, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 7, CZ-128 44 Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Petr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pyšek
authors.affiliation: German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Marten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Winter
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biology, Department of Ecology and Systematics, School of Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens 15784 Greece.
authors.forename: Margarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arianoutsou
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 10, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bacher
authors.affiliation: Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, University of Oldenburg, Carl-von-Ossietzky Strasse 9-11, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Blasius
authors.affiliation: Department of Agriculture, University of Sassari, Viale Italia 39, 07100 Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-3076-4098
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brundu
authors.affiliation: CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Cátedra Infraestruturas de Portugal-Biodiversidade, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal.|Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig, Museumsmeile Bonn, 53113 Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: César
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Capinha
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University, p. Moro, 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Celesti-Grapow
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457 Konstanz, Germany.|Department of Biosciences, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK.
authors.forename: Wayne
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dawson
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, Rennweg 14, 1030 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dullinger
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Botánica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción, Chile.
authors.forename: Nicol
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fuentes
authors.affiliation: Charles Darwin Foundation, Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz, Galápagos, Ecuador.
authors.forename: Heinke
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jäger
authors.affiliation: Biota of North America Program (BONAP), 9319 Bracken Lane, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27516, USA.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kartesz
authors.affiliation: CABI, Rue des Grillons 1, 2800 Delémont, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kenis
authors.affiliation: Department of Biodiversity, Macroecology and Biogeography, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Büsgenweg 1, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Holger
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4471-8236
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kreft
authors.affiliation: Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Department of Community Ecology, Theodor-Lieser-Strasse 4, 06120 Halle, Germany.|Department of Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, Am Kirchweg 2, 06108 Halle, Germany.|German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Ingolf
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kühn
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, Rennweg 14, 1030 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lenzner
authors.affiliation: US Forest Service Northern Research Station, Morgantown, West Virginia 26505, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Liebhold
authors.affiliation: Center for Interamerican Studies (CIAS), Department of Experimental and Systems Ecology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstrasse 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mosena
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, Rennweg 14, 1030 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Dietmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Moser
authors.affiliation: Biota of North America Program (BONAP), 9319 Bracken Lane, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27516, USA.
authors.forename: Misako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nishino
authors.affiliation: Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI), Suite 14, Bridge House, 1-2 Station Bridge, Harrogate HG1 1SS, UK.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pearman
authors.affiliation: Department of Invasion Ecology, Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Zámek 1, CZ-252 43 Průhonice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pergl
authors.affiliation: Department of Biodiversity and Nature Conservation, Environment Agency Austria, Spittelauer Laende 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Rabitsch
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, National Museum of Natural History, MRC-166 Smithsonian Institution, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, DC 20013, USA.
authors.forename: Julissa
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rojas-Sandoval
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), UR 0633, Zoologie Forestière, 45075 Orléans, France.
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roques
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford OX10 8BB, UK.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rorke
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 10, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rossinelli
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford OX10 8BB, UK.
authors.forename: Helen E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.affiliation: IUCN Species Survival Commission Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG), Via Valentino Mazzola 38 T2 B 10, I-00142 Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Scalera
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, Rennweg 14, 1030 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-1755-4304
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schindler
authors.affiliation: Department of Invasion Ecology, Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Zámek 1, CZ-252 43 Průhonice, Czech Republic.|Faculty of Science, Department of Ecology, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 7, CZ-128 44 Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Kateřina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Štajerová
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Department of Botany and Nature Protection, University of Silesia, Jagiellonska Strasse 28, 40-032 Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tokarska-Guzik
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457 Konstanz, Germany.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van Kleunen
authors.affiliation: Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI), Suite 14, Bridge House, 1-2 Station Bridge, Harrogate HG1 1SS, UK.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.affiliation: Department of Biodiversity, Macroecology and Biogeography, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Büsgenweg 1, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-2485-3708
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Weigelt
authors.affiliation: Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences, NARO (NIAES), 3-1-3 Kannondai, Tsukuba 305-8604, Japan.
authors.forename: Takehiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamanaka
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, Rennweg 14, 1030 Vienna, Austria.|Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa.
authors.forename: Franz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Essl
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D005843:Geography; D038622:Internationality; D058865:Introduced Species; D062312:Islands; D013045:Species Specificity; D013997:Time Factors