Pest Invasions: Understanding Risks and Introduction Patterns of Non-Indigenous Plant Pests

Abstract

Non-indigenous plant pests represent an ongoing and growing challenge to agriculture, forestry, biodiversity, and ecosystem functioning worldwide. Over recent decades, hundreds of pests have been introduced beyond their native geographical ranges, often through human-mediated pathways such as international trade and the movement of plants and plant products. The timing and location of these introductions are shaped by a complex interaction of environmental conditions and human activities that facilitate pest entry and establishment. Understanding pest invasions is complicated by limited data, which often rely on historical records of first detections and may be affected by uneven surveillance and reporting across regions. Despite these challenges, introduction records provide valuable insights into where and when pests enter and establish. When combined with environmental and anthropogenic information, these data can be analysed using spatial statistical approaches to identify regions repeatedly affected by new introductions and to assess the factors associated with increased invasion risk. This case explores the drivers of non-indigenous pest introductions and shows how introduction data and spatial analysis can be used to identify introduction hotspots and support risk-based plant health strategies. By improving our understanding of invasion patterns, these approaches can inform surveillance for early detection, rapid response, and preparedness efforts.