Description
Book SynopsisInvasive species come in all sizes, from plant pathogens like the chestnut blight in eastern North America, to the red imported fire ant that has spread throughout the South, the predatory Indian mongoose now found in the Caribbean and Hawaii, and the huge Burmese python populating the Florida swamps. And while many invasive species are safe and even beneficial, the more harmful varieties cost the world economy billions of dollars annually, devastate agriculture, spread painful and even lethal diseases, and otherwise diminish our quality of life in myriad surprising ways. In Invasive Species: What Everyone Needs to Know, award-winning biologist Daniel Simberloff offers a wide-ranging and informative survey that sheds light on virtually every aspect of these biological invaders. Filled with case studies of an astonishing array of invasive species, the book covers such topics as how humans introduce these species-sometimes inadvertently, but often deliberately-the areas that have suffere
Trade Review"Written for nonexpert but educated readers, Invasive Species will reward those who demand well-documented information without requiring scientific details. By extending his wide-ranging survey of biological invasions beyond their biology, Simberloff acknowledges the crucial human dimensions of invasive species." -- Science "Most interesting are discussions on the transport and spread of invasive species during ancient human migrations. Reflecting the author's unbiased writing, the book includes a chapter on the controversies surrounding the science and regulation of invasive species. Recommended." -B.R. Shmaefsky, Lone Star College - Kingwood, CHOICE "Simberloff's narrative style clearly communicates the natural processes operating in invasion biology, along with the immense magnitude of invasion damages." -- Biological Conservation "...probably the most comprehensive and easy-to-read mini-volume to tackle the enormous topic of biological invasions, and a useful springboard for further reading." -- Michael Stastny, University of Ottawa, The Quarterly Review of Biology
Table of ContentsI. Introduction ; II. Geography and time course of invasions ; 1. Which areas have incurred the most biological invasions, ; and where have most invasions originated? ; 2. When have invasions occurred and by what means? How have rates of invasions changed? ; 3. The particular vulnerability of island ecosystems. ; 4. Distribution of introduced species among habitats. ; 5. Introduced species and global climate change ; III. Impacts of introduced species ; 1. Many have little or no impact ; 2. Direct effects ; 3. Indirect effects ; 4. "Invasional meltdown" ; 5. Time lags ; 6. Economic impacts ; IV. Evolution of introduced species and of natives in response to them ; 1. Morphological evolution ; 2. Behavioral evolution ; 3. Life cycle evolution ; 4. Physiological evolution ; 5. New species/modified native species generated by hybridization ; V. Management of introduced species ; 1. International agreements and national regulatory frameworks ; 2. Border security ; 3. Eradication ; 4. Maintenance management ; VI. Controversial matters regarding invasions ; 1. Useful introduced species ; 2. Introduced species and biodiversity ; 3. Invasive natives ; 4. How do we know a species is introduced? ; 5. Xenophobia ; 6. Animal rights vs. species rights ; 7. Restoration vs. novel ecosystems ; VII. Prospect - the Homogocene? ; VIII. Suggested reading and websites
