Invasion Biology and Ecological Theory: Insights from a Continent in Transformation

1. Test ing hypoth eses about biologic al invasions and Charle s Da rwin’ s tw o-creato rs rumin ation
2. Au stralia’ s Acacia: unrecognised convergent evolution
3. The mixed success of Mimosoideae clades invading into Australia
4. Perspectives from parrots on biological invasions
5. Invasion ecology of honeyeaters
6. The invasion of terrestrial fauna into marine habitat: birds in mangroves
7. The biological invasion of Sirenia into Australasia
8. Flying foxes and drifting continents
9. Invasion ecology of Australasian marsupials
10. Murine rodents: late but highly successful invaders
11. Drif t of a continent: bro ken connec tions
12. The deve lopment of a clima te: an arid cont inent with wet fring es
13. Inva sion by wood y shrubs and trees
14. M odern tree colon isers from Austra lia into the rest of the worl d
15. Fai led in troduction s: fi n ches from outside Austra lia
16. The skyl ark
17. Why nor thern hemisph ere waders di d not colon ise the sou th
18. Weak mi gratory in terchang e by birds betwe en Au stralia and Asia
19. Intr oducing a new top predat or, the dingo
20. The Eur opean rabbit: Austra lia’ s wo rst mamma lian invad er
21. The rise and fall of the Asian wa ter buf falo in the monso onal tropic s of nor thern Au stralia
22. A criti que of ecological theory and a salute to natur al hi story

Many conservationists argue that invasive species form one of the most important threats to ecosystems the world over, often spreading quickly through their new environments and jeopardising the conservation of native species. As such, it is important that reliable predictions can be made regarding the effects of new species on particular habitats. This book provides a critical appraisal of ecosystem theory using case studies of biological invasions in Australasia. Each chapter is built around a set of 11 central hypotheses from community ecology, which were mainly developed in North American or European contexts. The authors examine the hypotheses in the light of evidence from their particular species, testing their power in explaining the success or failure of invasion and accepting or rejecting each hypothesis as appropriate. The conclusions have far-reaching consequences for the utility of community ecology, suggesting a rejection of its predictive powers and a positive reappraisal of natural history