New mix of alien and native species coexists in Puerto Rico's landscapes

Ariel E. Lugo; Thomas J. Brandeis

doi:10.1017/CBO9780511541971.021

20 - New mix of alien and native species coexists in Puerto Rico's landscapes

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 August 2009

Ariel E. Lugo and

Edited by

Michelle Pinard and

Ariel E. Lugo: Affiliation:
USDA Forest Service
Thomas J. Brandeis: Affiliation:
USDA Forest Service
David Burslem: Affiliation:
University of Aberdeen
Michelle Pinard: Affiliation:
University of Aberdeen
Sue Hartley: Affiliation:
University of Sussex

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Summary

‘There is no controversy among scientists that nonindigenous species cause extinctions of native species.’ … ‘The increase in nonindigenous species-induced rates of extinction of native species on both local and global scales is a fact.’

D. M. Lodge and K. Shrader-Frechette 2003, p. 34 and 36

‘The evidence so far points to the conclusion that invaders often cause extinction on oceanic islands and in lakes but rarely in the sea or in large land masses.’

G. J. Vermeij 1996, p. 6

Introduction

The advent of the Homogeocene (Putz 1997), Homogecene (McKinney & Lockwood 1999; Lockwood & McKinney 2001) or Homogocene (Lodge & Shrader-Frechette 2003) – the era of human domination of the world – is both a challenge and an opportunity to test the ingenuity of humans. Will we be able to establish a new and sustainable balance with the rest of the world's biota? To do so requires active management of biodiversity based on understanding the function and dynamics of ecosystems. Appropriately, the approach to the study of the biota is undergoing a shift from a taxonomic, distributional and evolutionary focus, to a paradigm that considers biodiversity and ecosystem function (Naeem 2002). This new approach is holistic and quantitative, and helpful in understanding the role of biodiversity in the Homogeocene (Lugo 1995, 2002a).

Much of the current literature on tropical biodiversity focuses on the negative effects of non-indigenous or alien species, particularly invasive ones.

Type: Chapter
Information: Biotic Interactions in the Tropics
Their Role in the Maintenance of Species Diversity
, pp. 484 - 509

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511541971.021 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2005

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20 - New mix of alien and native species coexists in Puerto Rico's landscapes

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