Invasive Species And Biodiversity Management

Based on a selection of papers presented at the Norway/UN Conference on Alien Species, Trondheim, Norway

Invasive alien species are a major and growing threat to biodiversity worldwide. The transport of organisms through increased levels of trade and tourism is leading to the widespread breaching of natural biogeographic barriers at unprecedented rates. Consequences can be severe, especially in naturally isolated ecosystems. Invasive alien species can cause the extinction of vulnerable endemic species, alter the structure and composition of communities, disrupt successional pathways, and lead to the loss of ecosystem services. Global climate change may further exacerbate the spread of alien species, as climatic zones shift and potential ranges alter. The effective management of invasive alien species is clearly a priority for biological conservation worldwide. This book first provides strategies for managing such species at successive invasion stages, from prevention at the border to control of major infestations. It then describes the general tools and approaches that are recommended for successful management of particular groups of invasive organisms in a range of environments. In each case, the ecological basis and practical requirements of invasive alien species management are addressed. This integration of proven techniques and policies will be useful to a wide readership of students, academics, conservation practitioners, invasive species managers, legislators, and to the broader community concerned with biological conservation.

Risk assessment, detection, control, legal, instruments, plants, animals.

This book, Diversity and Ecology of Invasive Plants, is a collection of reviewed and relevant research chapters, offering a comprehensive overview of recent developments in the field of invasive species biology. The book comprises chapters authored by various researchers and edited by experts active in the field of conservation of biodiversity. All chapters are complete in itself but united under a common topic. This publication aims at providing a thorough overview of the latest research efforts by international authors on diversity, distribution, and ecological consequences of invasive species and opens new possible research paths for further developments.

Biodiversity Conservation and Habitat Management is a component of Encyclopedia of Natural Resources Policy and Management in the global Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), which is an integrated compendium of twenty one Encyclopedias. Biodiversity is declining worldwide at a very unprecedented rate as a complex response to several human-induced changes in the global environment. The magnitude of these changes is so large and their effects are so strongly linked to the altered ecosystem processes and to human (ab-)use of natural resources that biodiversity loss is today perceived as one of the most important issues that humankind should face with extreme urgency. Disseminating information, raising awareness, and propelling concern within a diversified target audience (general public, schools, local authorities, and government agencies) are also essential to develop shared responsibility and to encourage collaborative efforts and compliance. This has been the main objective of “Biodiversity Conservation and Habitat Management”. The Theme on Biodiversity Conservation and Habitat Management provides the essential aspects and a myriad of issues of great relevance to our world in eight major topics of discussion, and is focused on 1) History and Overview of Biodiversity Conservation and Protected Areas, 2) Management of Forests and other Wooded Habitats, 3) Management of Savannahs and Other Open Habitats, 4) Management of Wetlands, 5) Management of Tourism and Human Recreation Pressure, 6) Conservation Strategies, Species Action Plans and Translocation, 7) Captive Breeding and Gene Banks, and 8) Eradication and Control of Invasive Species. These two volumes are aimed at the following five major target audiences: University and College students Educators, Professional practitioners, Research personnel and Policy analysts, managers, and decision makers and NGOs.

There have been many well-publicized cases of invasive species of plants and animals, often introduced unintentionally but sometimes on purpose, causing widespread ecological havoc. Examples of such alien invasions include pernicious weeds such as Japanese knotweed, an introduced garden ornamental which can grow through concrete, the water hyacinth which has choked tropical waterways, and many introduced animals which have out-competed and displaced local fauna. This book addresses the broader context of invasive and exotic species, in terms of the perceived threats and environmental concerns which surround alien species and ecological invasions. As a result of unprecedented scales of environmental change, combined with rapid globalisation, the mixing of cultures and diversity, and fears over biosecurity and bioterrorism, the known impacts of particular invasions have been catastrophic. However, as several chapters show, reactions to some exotic species, and the justifications for interventions in certain situations, including biological control by introduced natural enemies, rest uncomfortably with social reactions to ethnic cleansing and persecution perpetrated across the globe. The role of democracy in deciding and determining environmental policy is another emerging issue. In an increasingly multicultural society this raises huge questions of ethics and choice. At the same time, in order to redress major ecological losses, the science of reintroduction of native species has also come to the fore, and is widely accepted by many in nature conservation. However, with questions of where and when, and with what species or even species analogues, reintroductions are acceptable, the topic is hotly debated. Again, it is shown that many decisions are based on values and perceptions rather than objective science. Including a wide range of case studies from around the world, his book raises critical issues to stimulate a much wider debate.

Invasive species are everywhere, from forests and prairies to mountaintops and river mouths. Their rampant nature and sheer numbers appear to overtake fragile native species and forever change the ecosystems that they depend on. Concerns that invasive species represent significant threats to global biodiversity and ecological integrity permeate conversations from schoolrooms to board rooms, and concerned citizens grapple with how to rapidly and efficiently manage their populations. These worries have culminated in an ongoing “war on invasive species,” where the arsenal is stocked with bulldozers, chainsaws, and herbicides put to the task of their immediate eradication. In Hawaii, mangrove trees (Avicennia spp.) are sprayed with glyphosate and left to decompose on the sandy shorelines where they grow, and in Washington, helicopters apply the herbicide Imazapyr to smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) growing in estuaries. The “war on invasive species” is in full swing, but given the scope of such potentially dangerous and ecologically degrading eradication practices, it is necessary to question the very nature of the battle. Beyond the War on Invasive Species offers a much-needed alternative perspective on invasive species and the best practices for their management based on a holistic, permaculture-inspired framework. Utilizing the latest research and thinking on the changing nature of ecological systems, Beyond the War on Invasive Species closely examines the factors that are largely missing from the common conceptions of invasive species, including how the colliding effects of climate change, habitat destruction, and changes in land use and management contribute to their proliferation. Beyond the War on Invasive Species demonstrates that there is more to the story of invasive species than is commonly conceived, and offers ways of understanding their presence and ecosystem effects in order to make more ecologically responsible choices in land restoration and biodiversity conservation that address the root of the invasion phenomenon. The choices we make on a daily basis—the ways we procure food, shelter, water, medicine, and transportation—are the major drivers of contemporary changes in ecosystem structure and function; therefore, deep and long-lasting ecological restoration outcomes will come not just from eliminating invasive species, but through conscientious redesign of these production systems.

Biological invasions are one of the major threats to our native biodiversity. The magnitude of biodiversity losses, land degradation and productivity losses of managed and natural ecosystems due to invasive species is enormous. The ecological and environmental aspects of non-native invasive plants are of great importance to (i) understand ecological principles involved in the management of invasives, (ii) design management strategies, (iii) find effective management solutions for some of the worst invaders, and (iv) frame policies and regulations. The objectives of this book are to discuss (i) ecological approaches needed to design effective management strategies, (ii) recent progress in management methods and tools, (iii) success and failure of management efforts for some of the worst invaders, and (iv) restoration and conservation of invaded land. In an effort to achieve these objectives, contributing authors have strived to provide up-to-date information on the management of non-native invasives. Chapters included in the book are peer-reviewed by international experts working in the area. Readers will get a unique perspective on ecological aspects of the management of invasives. The book will be useful to graduate students, researchers, managers and policy makers involved in the management of exotic invasives.