The accelerating impacts of climate change compel conservation biology to rethink traditional approaches, including the rigid dichotomy between native and non-native species. Conservation efforts increasingly require adaptive, forward-looking strategies that acknowledge biotic novelty and prioritize ecosystem function and human well-being.

Non-native species, long viewed primarily as threats, may play vital roles in maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services under future climatic regimes. Some are more likely to persist than native species, providing safeguards against extinctions and ensuring continued provisioning of ecosystem functions such as pollination, carbon sequestration, or habitat structure. Novel ecosystems shaped by non-native species may also assist in species survival through processes like hybridization or novel mutualisms.

However, these potential benefits must be carefully weighed against substantial risks. Non-native species can reduce ecosystem resilience, alter trophic dynamics, and contribute to native species decline. The value of nonnative species must be considered alongside common concerns about them such as, the loss of ecological integrity and cultural values.

In this session we seek speakers who advocate for nuanced assessments that incorporate both scientific evidence and diverse societal values. This proposed session will create space for critical discussion of these emerging perspectives, facilitate the sharing of empirical evidence and case studies, and help shape a pragmatic, ethically grounded conservation paradigm. By addressing the dual roles of non-native species as both potential allies and threats, the session will foster more adaptive and inclusive conservation strategies suited to a rapidly changing world.