Ecology and Control of Introduced Plants

This 2003 book discusses the impact of introduced plant species on native ecosystems and methods of their control.

Judith H. Myers (Author), Dawn Bazely (Author)

9780521357784, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 15 May 2003

328 pages, 35 tables
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.9 cm, 0.48 kg

'… a 'must-have' for entomologists interested in ecological relations between phytophagous insects and invasive plants and manipulation of these relations through biological control of weeds …amply illustrated …' American Entomologist

The global spread of plant species by humans is both a fascinating large scale experiment and, in many cases, a major perturbation to native plant communities. Many of the most destructive weeds today have been intentionally introduced to new environments where they have had unexpected and detrimental impacts. This 2003 book considers the problem of invasive introduced plants from historical, ecological and sociological perspectives. We consider such questions as 'What makes a community invasible?', 'What makes a plant an invader?' and 'Can we restore plant communities after invasion?' Written with advanced students and land managers in mind, this book contains practical explanations, case studies and an introduction to basic techniques for evaluating the impacts of invasive plants. An underlying theme is that experimental and quantitative evaluation of potential problems is necessary, and solutions must consider the evolutionary and ecological constraints acting on species interactions in newly invaded communities.

1. Introduction
2. Planet of weeds: exotics in the landscape
3. Ecosystem, community composition, richness and dynamics
4. Life history characteristics and predicting invasiveness
5. Population ecology
6. Introduced plant diseases
7. Classical biological control of exotic weeds
8. Models of invasive plant populations
9. Cultural control of invasive species
10. Conserving and restoring natural communities
11. Some tools for studying plant populations
12. Conclusions: what the future holds.

Subject Areas: Botany & plant sciences [PST], Ecological science, the Biosphere [PSAF], Agriculture & related industries [KNAC]