Overview
- Provides an encyclopedic overview of all aspects of biological invasions in South Africa, a megadiverse country that is a global leader in invasion science
- Chronicles the history of introductions, invasions, and the emergence of invasion science in South Africa, and the development of policy and legislation for dealing with invasions, spanning 150 years
- Reviews knowledge of alien species from all taxonomic groups in terrestrial, freshwater and marine environments, the determinants of invasions, their impacts, and diverse insights on management
- Assesses of the extent and effectiveness of management interventions using unique and innovative approaches
- Attempts to explore where we might be going over the next 2000 years
Part of the book series: Invading Nature - Springer Series in Invasion Ecology (INNA, volume 14)
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Table of contents (31 chapters)
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Front Matter
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Biological Invasions in South Africa
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Front Matter
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Drivers of Invasion
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Front Matter
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Impacts of Invasion
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Front Matter
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Keywords
About this book
This open access volume presents a comprehensive account of all aspects of biological invasions in South Africa, where research has been conducted over more than three decades, and where bold initiatives have been implemented in attempts to control invasions and to reduce their ecological, economic and social effects. It covers a broad range of themes, including history, policy development and implementation, the status of invasions of animals and plants in terrestrial, marine and freshwater environments, the development of a robust ecological theory around biological invasions, the effectiveness of management interventions, and scenarios for the future. The South African situation stands out because of the remarkable diversity of the country, and the wide range of problems encountered in its varied ecosystems, which has resulted in a disproportionate investment into both research and management. The South African experience holds many lessons for other parts of the world, and thisbook should be of immense value to researchers, students, managers, and policy-makers who deal with biological invasions and ecosystem management and conservation in most other regions.
Reviews
“This resource will be valuable both to seasoned practitioners or academic researchers as well as to students just embarking on their careers. … Biological Invasions in South Africa will be seen as a pivotal milestone on the path to achieving these positive outcomes.” (Philip E. Hulme, South African Journal of Science, Vol. 117 (1-2), 2021)
Editors and Affiliations
About the editors
Brian W. van Wilgen is Emeritus Professor at the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. His interests include applied ecology and the development of evidence-based approaches to conservation management in Africa and beyond. His work has focussed mainly on fire ecology and biological invasions, and he has published over 250 peer-reviewed journal papers and book chapters.
John Measey is Chief Researcher at the NRF-DST Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology, based in the Department of Botany and Zoology at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. He is author/co-author of over 200 peer-reviewed journal papers and chapters in edited books. His research focuses on animal invasions, especially those of reptiles and amphibians.
David M. Richardson is Director of the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology and a Distinguished Professor of Ecology at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. His research focuses mainly on plant invasions, especially trees and shrubs. He is author/co-author of over 430 peer-reviewed journal papers and chapters in edited books. He has edited/co-edited six books, including Fifty years of invasion ecology (Wiley-Blackwell, 2011) and is co-author of Invasion Dynamics (Oxford University Press; 2017).
John R. Wilson is the science lead for the South African National Biodiversity Institute's Biological Invasions Directorate. He is author/co-author of over 120 papers in peer-reviewed journals with a particular focus on invasion science, and was the lead author of a recent book on detecting and responding to alien plant incursions (Cambridge University Press; 2017). He is a member of the IUCN's Invasive Species Specialist Group, and works across science, management, and policy (e.g. as a lead editor of South Africa's National Status Report on Biological Invasions, and current chair of the South African Alien Species Risk Analysis Review Panel).
Tsungai Zengeya is a senior researcher in the Biological Invasions Directorate at the South African National Biodiversity Institute and leads up the team producing the South African National Status Report on Biological Invasions. His research interests are in aquatic ecology, with a focus on understanding the impacts of, and managing and preventing biological invasions. His is also a core team member of the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology at University of Pretoria, South Africa.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Biological Invasions in South Africa
Editors: Brian W. van Wilgen, John Measey, David M. Richardson, John R. Wilson, Tsungai A. Zengeya
Series Title: Invading Nature - Springer Series in Invasion Ecology
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-32394-3
Publisher: Springer Cham
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life Sciences, Biomedical and Life Sciences (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2020
Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-030-32393-6Published: 11 March 2020
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-32396-7Published: 28 August 2021
eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-32394-3Published: 10 March 2020
Series ISSN: 1874-7809
Series E-ISSN: 2543-0483
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XXIV, 975
Number of Illustrations: 44 b/w illustrations, 111 illustrations in colour
Topics: Biodiversity, Conservation Biology/Ecology, Ecology, Animal Systematics/Taxonomy/Biogeography, Ecosystems, Plant Pathology