Table of Contents
Chapter 1: General Information
1. What is a biological invasion? - Definitions of "introduced species," "native species," "invasion," "invasive"
2. When did the study of biological invasions begin?
3. Why are biological invasions important?
4. What controversies surround invasions and their management?
Chapter 2: Magnitude, geography, and time course of invasions
1. How many introduced species become invasive?
2. How many biological invasions are there?
3. Where do most biological invaders come from, and where do they go?
4. When have invasions occurred and by what means? How have rates of invasions changed?
5. Why are island ecosystems especially vulnerable?
6. How are introduced species distributed among habitats, and how do they get around?
Chapter 3: Ecological effects of introduced species - straightforward impacts
1. How do biological invasions modify habitats?
2. How do invaders compete with native species?
3. What are the impacts of introduced predators?
4. What are the impacts of introduced herbivores?
5. What roles do introduced parasites and diseases play?
6. How does hybridization with invaders affect native species?
Chapter 4: Impacts of invasions - complications and human impacts
1. What is an "indirect effect"?
2. What is "invasional meltdown"?
3. Why do many impacts occur only after a time lag?
4. Do invaders ever just go away on their own?
5. What are the economic impacts of biological invasions?
6. What are the public health consequences of biological invasions?
Chapter 5: Evolution of introduced and native species
1. What is the "paradox" of biological invasions?
2. How do introduced species evolve?
3. How do introduced pathogens and native hosts co-evolve?
4. How do native species evolve in response to invasions?
5. How does hybridization affect natives and invaders?
6. What are the "enemy release" and EICA hypotheses?
7. How can the paradox of invasion genetics be resolved?
Chapter 6: How and why do invasions occur?
1. Why do people deliberately introduce animals?
2. Why do people introduce plants?
3. What were acclimatization societies?
4. What are some unusual motives for introducing animals?
5. What are "stepping stones"?
6. How do unintended introductions occur?
Chapter 7: Can we predict species invasions?
1. Can we predict which species will become invasive if they are introduced?
2. What is risk assessment for biological invasions?
3. How is risk assessed for unplanned introductions?
Chapter 8: How are species introductions regulated?
1. What international agreements address biological invasions?
2. How do national regulatory frameworks differ?
3. Do further introductions matter once a species has invaded?
4. How could economic measures aid regulation and management?
Chapter 9: Detection and eradication of introduced species
1. What is an early detection/rapid response system?
2. When should an introduction simply be tolerated?
3. What is eradication, and when should it be attempted?
4. What characteristics separate successful eradications from failures?
Chapter 10: Maintenance management of invasions
1. What are mechanical and physical control?
2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of chemical control?
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of biological control?
4. What is integrated pest management?
5. What is ecosystem management?
Chapter 11: Controversies surrounding biological invasions
1. Which introduced species are harmful and which are useful?
2. How do introduced species affect biodiversity?
3. How do we know a species is introduced and not native?
4. Are actions against introduced species xenophobic?
5. Are efforts to contain invasions futile?
6. Should animal rights govern management of invasive species?
Chapter 12: Prospect - the Homogeocene?
1. What is biotic homogenization?
2. How will patterns of human activity affect biological invasions?
3. How will global climate change and other global changes affect biological invasions?
4. What new technologies will aid detection and monitoring of invasions?
5. How will new management technologies affect invasions?
6. Will new technologies reverse the trend? A test case.
Glossary
Further reading
Appendix: Scientific names of species cited in this book
Index

About the Author

Daniel Simberloff is Professor of Environmental Studies and Director of the Institute for Biological Invasions at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He is Editor-in-Chief of the journal Biological Invasions and senior editor of the Encyclopedia of Biological Invasions (University of California Press, 2011).

Reviews

"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