Invasive Plants and Forest Ecosystems

Invasive Plants and Forest Ecosystems
Author: Ravinder Kumar Kohli
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 456
Release: 2008-09-09
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1420043382

As the worldwide human population explodes and trade becomes increasingly globalized, the transboundary movement of plant species from their place of origin to foreign regions is escalating and expected to experience continued growth in the coming decades. Invasive non-native species pose one of the greatest challenges for natural resource managers who are charged with the maintenance of biological diversity and the sustainable production of forest resources. With international contributors presenting an informed and integrated approach to the control of havoc-wrecking species, Invasive Plants and Forest Ecosystems provides the most updated information on invading plants, their impacts on forest ecosystems, and control strategies. This text addresses such important issues as the socioeconomic and policy aspects of plant invasion and offers complete coverage of their ecological impacts and the varied levels of threats in diverse situations.

River Biota

River Biota
Author: Peter P. Calow
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 264
Release: 2009-07-08
Genre: Science
ISBN: 144431372X

As with all ecosystems, river systems involve a complex interaction of a rich diversity of micro-organisms, plants and animals with their physical and chemical environment. The river habitat presents unique problems for organisms exposed to unidirectional currents, seasonal variation in flow, and disturbance due to pollution and other human interference. The book starts with a description of the taxa, their adaptations and their ecologies, followed by chapters describing the ecosystem processes in terms of trophic interactions and the key production processes related to photosynthesis and decomposition. A major chapter then considers the principles, practices and problems associated with making reliable observations on river organisms, leading to final chapters investigating how river biota are impacted by human activity and how, in turn, they can be used as indicators of these effects in river-management programmes.

Predicting Invasions of Nonindigenous Plants and Plant Pests

Predicting Invasions of Nonindigenous Plants and Plant Pests
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 212
Release: 2002-06-05
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0309170168

Nonindigenous plants and plant pests that find their way to the United States and become invasive can often cause problems. They cost more than $100 billion per year in crop and timber losses plus the expense of herbicides and pesticides. And this figure does not include the costs of invasions in less intensively managed ecosystems such as wetlands. Nonindigenous Plants and Plant Pests examines this growing problem and offers recommendations for enhancing the science base in this field, improving our detection of potential invaders, and refining our ability to predict their impact. The book analyzes the factors that shape an invader's progress through four stages: arriving through one of many possible ports of entry, reaching a threshold of survival, thriving through proliferation and geographic spread, and ultimate impact on the organism's new environment. The book also reviews approaches to predicting whether a species will become an invader as well as the more complex challenge of predicting and measuring its impact on the environment, a process involving value judgments and risk assessment. This detailed analysis will be of interest to policymakers, plant scientists, agricultural producers, environmentalists, and public agencies concerned with invasive plant and plant pest species.

Unnatural Texas?

Unnatural Texas?
Author: Robin W. Doughty
Publisher: Texas A&M University Press
Total Pages: 273
Release: 2019-02-14
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 162349706X

The story of introduced species in Texas is long (hogs were introduced by European settlers in the 1500s) and fraught with controversy. In Unnatural Texas? The Invasive Species Dilemma, Robin W. Doughty and Matt Warnock Turner introduce the “big hitters” of invasive species in the state. They profile the usual suspects—feral hogs, salt cedar, and fire ants—and also lesser known invasives, such as cats and sparrows. Blending natural and environmental history with geography, this book is a much-needed, balanced exploration of invasive species in Texas. The distinctions between native and invasive are not hard and fast, and perceptions of what is invasive have changed over the centuries. A striking example, free-ranging cats—domestic, stray, and feral—can wreak havoc on small mammal and bird populations. There is not a one-size-fits-all solution for invasives, and removal or complete eradication may not be possible or even desirable. The dilemma of what to do about invasive species also raises moral, social, economic, and cultural questions. This engaging introduction to the concept of invasive species in Texas will provide context for readers and will educate people on this important issue facing the state.

Invasive Plants of California's Wildlands

Invasive Plants of California's Wildlands
Author: Carla C. Bossard
Publisher: Univ of California Press
Total Pages: 366
Release: 2000
Genre: Invasive plants
ISBN: 9780520225466

"Invasive nonnative plants threaten native species with habitat loss, displacement, and severe population declines, thus seriously reducing biodiversity. Invasive Plants of California's Wildlands is a tremendous source for land managers and others who are interested in protecting the rich natural heritage of California and surrounding states."--John C. Sawhill, President and CEO, The Nature Conservancy

Wildland Fire in Ecosystems

Wildland Fire in Ecosystems
Author:
Publisher: Forest Service
Total Pages: 368
Release: 2008
Genre: Nature
ISBN:

This state-of-knowledge review of information on relationships between wildland fire and nonnative invasive plants can assist fire managers and other land managers concerned with prevention, detection, and eradication or control of nonnative invasive plants. The 16 chapters in this volume synthesize ecological and botanical principles regarding relationships between wildland fire and nonnative invasive plants, identify the nonnative invasive species currently of greatest concern in major bioregions of the United States, and describe emerging fire-invasive issues in each bioregion and throughout the nation. This volume can help increase understanding of plant invasions and fire and can be used in fire management and ecosystem-based management planning. The volume's first part summarizes fundamental concepts regarding fire effects on invasions by nonnative plants, effects of plant invasions on fuels and fire regimes, and use of fire to control plant invasions. The second part identifies the nonnative invasive species of greatest concern and synthesizes information on the three topics covered in part one for nonnative invasives in seven major bioregions of the United States: Northeast, Southeast, Central, Interior West, Southwest Coastal, Northwest Coastal (including Alaska), and Hawaiian Islands. The third part analyzes knowledge gaps regarding fire and nonnative invasive plants, synthesizes information on management questions (nonfire fuel treatments, postfire rehabilitation, and postfire monitoring), summarizes key concepts described throughout the volume, and discusses urgent management issues and research questions.

Science, Conservation, and National Parks

Science, Conservation, and National Parks
Author: Steven R. Beissinger
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 455
Release: 2017-01-13
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 022642300X

Papers from a summit, "Science for Parks, Parks for Science: the next century," organized by University of California, Berkeley, in partnership with the National Geographic Society and the National Park Service and held 25-27 March 2015 at the University of California, Berkeley.