Although not new, the phenomenon of biological invasions accelerated on a global scale in the latter half of the twentieth century. On a geological time scale, biological invasion is a "natural" phenomenon that happens when an organism arrives somewhere beyond its previous range. Some introductions have led to dramatic declines in native animal and plant species and the functioning of ecosystems. In fact, biological invasions are considered the second biggest threat to biodiversity after habitat destruction. Invasive alien species (IAS) are getting more widespread and cause enormous and often irreversible harm to biodiversity; they can compete with and displace native species, cause the extinction or decline of many species, alter ecosystem functions, threaten biodiversity, and also lead to economic consequences and human welfare impacts. Several international agreements, including the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), recognize the negative impacts of IAS and reflect the growing concerns of policy-makers, scientists, stakeholders, and society. Many invasive species of agricultural importance or ornamentals cause annually important losses in crop yields in many regions around the world.

Considering that the adverse effects of IAS are increasingly recognized worldwide, the challenges of managing IAS are becoming urgent and are growing in scale with globalization and climate change. The problem is global, and managing it requires international as well as local action. There is an intimate correlation between a detailed understanding of the invasion process and the implementation of an appropriate management strategy. Indeed, the invasion process has been divided into three major phases (introduction, establishment, and invasion), and each phase is linked to management priorities. The introduction is associated with prevention, the establishment of early detection and eradication, and the spread to control, and containment. The goal of such actions is the restoration of ecosystems to preserve or reestablish native biodiversity and functions. This special issue will focus on patterns, processes, and consequences of biological invasions and their impact on native biota, as well as possible options to manage these IAS (IAS inventories, early detection, mapping and monitoring, eradication, and control). Climate change can also generate new opportunities for the proliferation and spread of alien species, causing harmful effects on agriculture. Consequently, this issue will explore the potential consequences of climate change on biological invasions increase.