A round table with James H. Brown and Dov F. Sax, Daniel Simberloff, and Mark Sagoff
April-June 2007 (Vol. 8, No. 2)
Discussion Questions
- Are native invasive species fundamentally different from exotic/alien invasive species? What separates invasive from non-invasive species?
- What do you think about Brown and Sax’s assertion that “there is locally fewer than one extinction of a native species for every successful colonization of an alien species”? Even if invasive species are not causing the extinction of other/native species, might they be affecting population-level diversity or ecosystem services?
- Are all alien species invasives?
- What are some of the major drawbacks to Simberloff’s suggestion of treating alien species as “guilty until proven innocent”?
- What are some of the benefits and problems associated with homogenization of the earth’s plants and animals?
Websites for Further Information
- USDA National Invasive Species Information Center: http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/
- EPA Oceans, Coasts, and Estuaries Program: http://www.epa.gov/owow/invasive_species/
- IUCN Invasive Species Specialist Group: http://www.issg.org/
Invasive species in the news
- http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/04/29/MNGI3PHO3U1.DTL
- http://origin.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_5792339
Key Concepts
- Invasive species
- Synergistic interactions between threats
- Precautionary principle
- Local diversity versus global diversity
