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Monday 21 May 2012 16:24:45

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 Subline Biological Invasions

Invasion by alien species, including free-living plants and animals as well as parasites and pathogens, is a major component of global change, causing important impacts on the biodiversity and function of the ecosystems worldwide as well as serious economic losses and health problems both to wildlife and humans. From the conservation point of view, concern over these problems has prompted a plethora of research on the patterns of alien species distribution and the ecological mechanisms that govern their establishment and spread in recipient habitats or regions so as to be able to identify and prevent situations where the risk of invasion is particularly high. The invasion and impact of alien species in the wild depends on a combination of species traits, characteristics of the receptive ecosystem and invasion event factors such as time since invasion and the frequency of introduction. To make predictions regarding the vulnerability of organisms and ecosystems to invasion an integrative approach including all these factors is essential. From a theoretical point of view, the phenomena of biological invasions are considered grand experiments to understand aspects regarding biogeography, community species assemblages, population dynamics of small populations and evolutionary forces. Therefore, research on biological invasions requires an integrative approach both to apply basic science to investigate the ecology of alien species and to use them as study cases to understand evolutionary and ecological processes.

    Estación Biólogica de Doñana - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas - Apdo 1056 E - 41013 Sevilla
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