Conceptual ecology and invasion biology: Reciprocal approaches to nature

Abstract

The ecological threat represented by invasive species is well-known, but the scientific opportunities are underappreciated. Invasion studies have historically been largely directed at the important job of collecting case studies. Invasion biology has matured and is now incorporated into the heart of ecology, and can be an extension of ecological theory. In this edited volume, global experts in ecology and evolutionary biology explore how theories in ecology elucidate the processes of invasion, while also examining how specific invasions inform ecological theory. This reciprocal benefit is highlighted in a number of scales of organization: population, community and biogeographic, while employing example invaders in all major groups of organisms and from a number of regions around the globe. The chapters in this book utilize many cutting-edge observational, experimental, analytical and computational methods used in modern ecology. By merging conceptual ecology and invasion biology the book offers a better understanding of the invasion process while also developing a better understanding of how ecological systems function. © 2006 Springer. All Rights Reserved.