Plant Invasions in Protected Areas

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There are numerous excellent volumes on the topic of biological invasions, some of which deal with conservation-related issues to varying degrees. Almost 30 years since the last global assessment of alien plant invasions in protected areas during the SCOPE programme of the 1980s, the present book aims to provide a synthesis of the current state of knowledge of problems with invasive plants in protected areas. To set the scene we outline some of the major challenges facing the field of invasion biology. We discuss the extent and dimensions of problems that managers of protected areas deal with and what can be learnt from research and management interventions conducted in protected areas. A virtual tour through different regions of the world sheds light on the rapidly growing knowledge L.C. Foxcroft (*) Conservation Services, South African National Parks, Private Bag X402, Skukuza 1350, South Africa Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Stellenbosch 7602, South Africa e-mail: [email protected] D.M. Richardson Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Stellenbosch 7602, South Africa e-mail: [email protected] P. Pyšek Department of Invasion Ecology, Institute of Botany, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Průhonice CZ 252 43, Czech Republic Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, CZ 128 44 Viničná 7, Prague 2, Czech Republic e-mail: [email protected] P. Genovesi ISPRA, Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via V. Brancati 48, I-00144 Rome, Italy Chair IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group, Rome, Italy e-mail: [email protected] L.C. Foxcroft et al. (eds.), Plant Invasions in Protected Areas: Patterns, Problems and Challenges, Invading Nature Springer Series in Invasion Ecology 7, DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-7750-7_1, © Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013 3 base in different socio-geographical settings, and applies such insights to the problems that managers face. We hope that this book captures the core concerns and creates the critical links that will be needed if the growing impacts of alien plant invasions on protected areas are to be managed effectively. We also aim to promote the role of protected areas as leaders and catalysts of global action on invasive species, and key study areas for basic and applied invasion science. There are numerous excellent volumes on the topic of biological invasions, some of which deal with conservation-related issues to varying degrees. Almost 30 years since the last global assessment of alien plant invasions in protected areas during the SCOPE programme of the 1980s, the present book aims to provide a synthesis of the current state of knowledge of problems with invasive plants in protected areas. To set the scene we outline some of the major challenges facing the field of invasion biology. We discuss the extent and dimensions of problems that managers of protected areas deal with and what can be learnt from research and management interventions conducted in protected areas. A virtual tour through different regions of the world sheds light on the rapidly growing knowledge L.C. Foxcroft (*) Conservation Services, South African National Parks, Private Bag X402, Skukuza 1350, South Africa Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Stellenbosch 7602, South Africa e-mail: [email protected] D.M. Richardson Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Stellenbosch 7602, South Africa e-mail: [email protected] P. Pyšek Department of Invasion Ecology, Institute of Botany, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Průhonice CZ 252 43, Czech Republic Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, CZ 128 44 Viničná 7, Prague 2, Czech Republic e-mail: [email protected] P. Genovesi ISPRA, Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via V. Brancati 48, I-00144 Rome, Italy Chair IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group, Rome, Italy e-mail: [email protected] L.C. Foxcroft et al. (eds.), Plant Invasions in Protected Areas: Patterns, Problems and Challenges, Invading Nature Springer Series in Invasion Ecology 7, DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-7750-7_1, © Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013 3 base in different socio-geographical settings, and applies such insights to the problems that managers face. We hope that this book captures the core concerns and creates the critical links that will be needed if the growing impacts of alien plant invasions on protected areas are to be managed effectively. We also aim to promote the role of protected areas as leaders and catalysts of global action on invasive species, and key study areas for basic and applied invasion science.