Dr Sabina Kumschick, from the Centre for Invasion Biology at Stellenbosch will present the Department of Statistical Sciences seminar with a talk entitled, "Towards a global classification system of alien taxa according to their impacts".  

Alien species can cause a broad range of changes to the recipient environment and socio-economy. Classifying alien species according to the magnitude of impact caused can inform the prioritisation of management actions and aid the protection of native biodiversity. Impact scoring systems which enable the comparison of highly diverse impact metrics between taxa have been developed for this purpose. They generally include impacts caused through various mechanisms, ranging in intensity depending on the level of organisation affected in the recipient system. The talk will present some of the latest developments with regards to impact scoring systems for alien species and their applicability for management and prediction of future impacts.

Sabrina Kumschick received her PhD from the University of Bern in Switzerland in 2010. After a short postdoc at Colorado State University in the United States of America, she joined the Centre for Invasion Biology at Stellenbosch University in 2012 and received a researcher position there in 2015. Her research focus is on risk and impact assessments of alien species. She works closely with the South African National Biodiversity Institute, the Department of Environmental Affairs and the International Union for Conservation of Nature to influence national and international policy making on alien species.