Biological Invasions : Economic and Environmental Costs of Alien Plant, Animal, and Microbe Species, Second Edition

Revised, expanded, and updated, this second edition of a successful reference discusses how non-native species invade new ecosystems and the subsequent economic and environmental effects of these invaders. With nine new chapters, this text provides detailed information on the major components of the invasive-species problem from six continents, including impacts on human health and livestock. The book examines ways in which non-native species destroy vital crops and forests; damage ecosystem dynamics, leading to losses in plant and animal biodiversity; and cause soil erosion and water loss.

The impact of invasive species is second only to that of human population growth and associated activities as a cause of the loss of biodiversity throughout the world. In the United States, invasions of nonnative plants, animals, or microbes cause major environmental damage. The second edition of Biological Invasions: Economic and Environmental Costs of Alien Plant, Animal, and Microbe Species represents the most current, single-source reference containing scientific and economic information on this timely subject.

This volume reconfirms the diverse and unpredictable roles that non-native species assume as they invade new ecosystems: destruction of vital crops and forests, major damages to ecosystems leading to loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, and water loss. The text provides information on how the non-native species invade new ecosystems, their subsequent environmental effects, and estimates on economic impacts. Biological Invasions supplies scientists, policymakers, and the public with a better understanding of the invading species and how to prevent their spread and improve control procedures.