Institute for Biological Invasions

The Institute of Biological Invasions was established at the University of Tennessee in 1997. Daniel Simberloff, Nancy Gore Hunger Professor of Environmental Science, founded the institute to focus attention on invasive species: species that have spread beyond their home habitats, usually with human assistance, to displace native species in their native environments.

Invasive species pose an increasing conservation threat worldwide.  Research by Dr. Simberloff and his colleagues  in the Department of Ecology and Evolution focuses on the ecology of invasive species: how they gain a foothold in new locations, why some species are able to spread quickly while others are not, how some invasive species facilitate the spread of others, and how to exclude, control, or eradicate invasive species.

This website features descriptions of ongoing research at the UT Institute of Biological Invasions as well as links to other sources of information on invasive species. The Institute of Biological Invasions has also compiled a database of references to published articles on invasive species—Resources: IBI Database-- searchable by key word. Please address questions and suggestions on this website to Dr. Simberloff at dsimberloff@utk.edu, with “Website” in the subject line.

Contact Information

Daniel Simberloff
Gore Hunger Professor of Environmental Science
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
569 Dabney Hall
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN 37996-1610

Phone: (865) 974-0849
Fax: (865) 974-3067
Email: dsimberloff@utk.edu