A global dataset of native and alien distributions of alien species

Biological invasions have been identified as a major threat to nature with far-reaching consequences also for human-wellbeing. Mitigating and preventing further impacts requires knowledge about the origins of alien species and their spread dynamics. While several new datasets have been published recently about alien species distributions, information about their native ranges is scarce and scattered. Here, we present a comprehensive dataset of the regions of origin and introduction of alien species worldwide. We accessed multiple global datasets of species distributions to compile, harmonize and integrate data of alien species distributions and their native ranges. Building on previous efforts, we advanced an existing workflow to allow full reproducibility and transparency in creating the dataset. The final dataset contains 427,956 records including alien distributions of 39,700 species and native distributions of 21,345 alien species in 289 regions worldwide. This dataset provides a solid foundation for analyses of alien species flows, the identification of new emerging alien species and the management of biological invasions through prioritizing major routes of spread.