UCL Discovery
UCL home » Library Services » Electronic resources » UCL Discovery

Ecological Impacts of Alien Species: Quantification, Scope, Caveats, and Recommendations

Kumschick, S; Gaertner, M; Vila, M; Essl, F; Jeschke, JM; Py ek, P; Ricciardi, A; ... Winter, M; + view all (2015) Ecological Impacts of Alien Species: Quantification, Scope, Caveats, and Recommendations. BioScience , 65 (1) 55 - 63. 10.1093/biosci/biu193. Green open access

[thumbnail of Blackburn.Kumschick_Bioscience.pdf]
Preview
PDF
Blackburn.Kumschick_Bioscience.pdf

Download (550kB)

Abstract

Despite intensive research on effects of alien species during the past decade, invasion science still lacks capacity to accurately predict impacts and thus provide timely advice to managers on where limited resources should be allocated. This capacity has been limited partly by the context-dependent nature of ecological impacts, research highly skewed toward certain taxa and habitat types, and the lack of standardized methods for detecting and quantifying impact. We review different strategies, including specific experimental and observational approaches, for detecting and quantifying ecological impacts of alien species. These include a four-way experimental plot design for comparing impact studies of different organisms. Furthermore, we identify hypothesis-driven parameters that should be measured at invaded sites to maximize insights into the nature of impact. We also present strategies for recognizing high-impact species. Our recommendations provide a foundation for developing systematic quantitative measurements to allow comparisons of impact across alien species, sites and time.

Type: Article
Title: Ecological Impacts of Alien Species: Quantification, Scope, Caveats, and Recommendations
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biu193
Publisher version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biu193
Additional information: Copyright © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Institute of Biological Sciences. All rights reserved.This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in BioScience following peer review. The version of record Kumschick, S; Gaertner, M; Vila, M; Essl, F; Jeschke, JM; Py ek, P; Ricciardi, A; Bacher, S; Blackburn, TM; Dick, JTA; Evans, T; Hulme, PE; Kuhn, I; Mruga a, A; Pergl, J; Rabitsch, W; Richardson, DM; Sendek, A; Winter, M. (2015) Ecological Impacts of Alien Species: Quantification, Scope, Caveats, and Recommendations. BioScience , 65 (1) 55 - 63. Is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biu193
Keywords: Biological invasions, context dependence, ecosystem functioning, management, prediction.
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences > Div of Biosciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences > Div of Biosciences > Genetics, Evolution and Environment
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1463161
Downloads since deposit
316Downloads
Download activity - last month
Download activity - last 12 months
Downloads by country - last 12 months

Archive Staff Only

View Item View Item