Invasion Biology and Ecological Theory : Insights from a Continent in Transformation

This book examines ecosystem theory in the context of invasive species, evaluating its reliability in making predictions about the likely effects of new species on particular habitats. The authors use case studies of ancient and modern biological invasions in Australasia, ranging from Acacias and water birds to rabbits and dingoes.

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.