Regan Early: Palácio do Vimioso, 06 of April 2011, 15:00
Biological invasions have been named as a primary force in the decline and extinction of native species. Worldwide, $400 billion annually is lost through crop damage or spent on invasive species eradication, mitigation and prevention programs. Yet now, 50 years after the field of invasion ecology was born, we are still unable to predict the qualities of the introduced species and recipient communities that combine to produce a biological invasion. Furthermore, there is recent controversy over the biological effects of invasive species: it is being claimed that biological invasions do little ecological harm. In this two hour seminar, we will discuss the ‘state of the art’ in invasion research, touching on community ecology, the ‘invasion paradox’ and phylogenetic analysis. We will then contrast measured ecological effects with human perception of the impacts of invasions. Students will be asked to prepare (in groups) a five minute presentation on a paper or conservation document that highlights the controversy over biological invasions.
