Overview

Many conservationists argue that invasive species form one of the most important threats to ecosystems the world over, often spreading quickly through their new environments and jeopardising the conservation of native species. As such, it is important that reliable predictions can be made regarding the effects of new species on particular habitats. This book provides a critical appraisal of ecosystem theory using case studies of biological invasions in Australasia. Each chapter is built around a set of eleven central hypotheses from community ecology, which were mainly developed in North American or European contexts. The authors examine the hypotheses in the light of evidence from their particular species, testing their power in explaining the success or failure of invasion and accepting or rejecting each hypothesis as appropriate. The conclusions have far-reaching consequences for the utility of community ecology, suggesting a rejection of its predictive powers and a positive reappraisal of natural history.

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9781107035812

Table of Contents

Reviews

'This book represents a novel and exciting approach to testing some fundamental ecological ideas such as the niche concept, competition, disturbance, and life history strategy. It does so using invasive alien species, with Australia as both the invaded environment, as well as the source of the invasives. The approach taken is to propose a series of ecological hypotheses and test these against invader case studies ranging from the failed (finches) to the downright spectacular (water buffalo in Northern Australia). A series of specialist authors tackles each case study, before the editors, Prins and Gordon, conclude with a synthesis chapter that reviews the evidence for and against each hypothesis, drawing on each author's findings in a structured way. The principal intent of this book is to inform the science of ecology, but it is rich in valuable insights to those grappling with the management of this great threat to global biodiversity.' Mark Lonsdale, CSIRO

Author Information

Herbert H. T. Prins is Professor of Resource Ecology at Wageningen University. He was twice visiting professor with CSIRO and a Foundation Fellow of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. He has conducted extensive fieldwork in environments ranging from savannas and rainforests, to mountains and the high arctic. Iain J. Gordon is Chief Executive and Director of the James Hutton Institute. He has an international reputation for scientific leadership and research excellence in interdisciplinary approaches to understanding socio-ecological system dynamics. He worked for CSIRO for seven years, managing major research portfolios on land management to protect the Great Barrier Reef and conserving Australia's biodiversity.

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