GIRAF 1.0: A unified global framework to anticipate plant pest invasions

View at publisher
Authors: Aaron I Plex Sula, Özgur Batuman, Gilles Cellier, Nicholas S. Dufault, Berea A. Etherton, Amanda Hodges, Tiffany M. Lowe‐Power, John D. McVay, Cory J. Penca, Kyle Schroeder, Eleni Stilian, Piotr Suder
+4 more Yu Takeúchi, Henri E Z Tonnang, Ying Wang, Karen A. Garrett
Cited by: 2

Abstract

Plant pests threaten 10-40% of global food production, resulting in $55-220 billion in annual economic losses. Despite these escalating risks, biosecurity remains largely reactive, lacking anticipatory frameworks that integrate pest-specific drivers governing transboundary spread. We present GIRAF 1.0 (Global Invasion Risk Assessment Framework), the first quantitative, data-driven system that unifies pest-specific multi-host landscapes, abiotic suitability, and global trade networks with international phytosanitary policies. We applied GIRAF to four globally devastating pests - ranging from viral to insect taxa - to reconstruct a century of transcontinental spread and generate the first multiscale atlases of future invasion potential. GIRAF reveals that 22-37% of Earth's land surface can contain host communities that largely overlap with environmentally suitable hotspots. Over 115 countries are highly vulnerable to trade-mediated pest introductions despite adopted phytosanitary policies. GIRAF provides a foundation for proactive surveillance and pandemic preparedness, offering a scalable path for transnational biosecurity agencies and global food industries.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Insect-Plant Interactions and Control Forest Insect Ecology and Management Insect Pheromone Research and Control

Publication details

Journal / source
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
Publisher
openRxiv
Publication date
27 April 2026
Document type
Preprint