Tracking the tractable: Using invasion to guide the exploration of conceptual ecology

Abstract

Our understanding of the complex functioning of human physiology, neurology, and behavior has long been guided by the study of anomalies in these systems. When faced with a seemingly intractably complex system, it is at times easier to fathom its mechanisms by disrupting or disturbing it rather than trying to delicately explore the 'natural' entity. It has recently become clear to ecologists this tact of using the disruption or distortion of a system to better understand its normal workings can be applied to the study of the behavior, spread, and impact of non-indigenous species (NIS) on natural communities (Sax et al, 2005). The power of this view of NIS is that systems are inadvertently being perturbed all over the globe. What we can learn from the perturbations will not only advance the science of ecology, but also will allow ecologists to restore and rebuild these very systems. However, not all disruptions of a system are necessarily informative. Further, if the system as it normally functions holds some intrinsic value, as do invaded ecological systems, it is in the interest of the researcher to work to both understand invasions but also to correct or mitigate the damaging impact of non-native populations. © 2006 Springer. All Rights Reserved.