Invasive Species Management : A Handbook of Principles and Techniques

Invasive alien species are a major and growing threat to biodiversity worldwide. The transport of organisms through increased levels of trade and tourism is leading to the widespread breaching of natural biogeographic barriers at unprecedented rates. Consequences can be severe, especially in naturally isolated ecosystems. Invasive alien species can cause the extinction of vulnerable endemic species, alter the structure and composition of communities, disrupt successional pathways, and lead to the loss of ecosystem services. Global climate change may further exacerbate the spread of alien species, as climatic zones shift and potential ranges alter.

The effective management of invasive alien species is clearly a priority for biological conservation worldwide. This book first provides strategies for managing such species at successive invasion stages, from prevention at the border to control of major infestations. It then describes the general tools and approaches that are recommended for successful management of particular groups of invasive organisms in a range of environments. In each case, the ecological basis and practical requirements of invasive alien species management are addressed.

This integration of proven techniques and policies will be useful to a wide readership of students, academics, conservation practitioners, invasive species managers, legislators, and to the broader community concerned with biological conservation.

Mick Clout is Professor of Conservation Ecology at the University of Auckland. Originally from the UK, he is a vertebrate ecologist and has worked on a range of invasive mammals and threatened native birds. He established the Invasive Species Specialist Group of SSC/IUCN and led it for 15 years. His primary research speciality is the ecology and behaviour of vertebrates, but he has broad interests in applications of ecological science to national and international problems in conservation and biodiversity management. He has received many awards, including the Sir Peter Scott Award for Conservation Merit (2008), the Charles Fleming Award for Environmental Achievement (2007), and the NZ Ecological Society Award for Ecological Excellence (2007).

Peter Williams began his research career in the New Zealand mountains. Following his masters degree and PhD he published on aspects of the country's tall-tussock grasslands, followed by several first accounts of alpine flora and vegetation of South Island mountains, and vegetation surveys throughout the country. Since the 1980s he has researched and published on many aspects of the ecology and management of invasive plant species, including their history of introduction, their role in vegetation succession, their impacts on native biota, their avian and mammalian dispersers, and their population dynamics. He is passionate about applying his understanding of biological invasions and as a result he has had a major influence on the management of weeds in New Zealand, from central Government agencies to local community groups. This work has made him well known internationally amongst the community of invasive species scientists and managers.