Ecological Explosions - by Daniel Simberloff (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A leading biologist offers a comprehensive and accessible history of invasive species science, from its earliest antecedents through its current research foci and controversies.

From the arrival of the naval shipworm in the Black Sea in the first millennium BC to the escape of the Burmese python in Florida in 1992, humans have moved species to new locations, deliberately or inadvertently, for thousands of years. Agricultural and environmental impacts of some invasions were evident early, although whether observers recognized that the cause was an introduced species is uncertain. The history of invasion biology truly begins in the sixteenth through eighteenth centuries, when explorers noticed European species on various distant islands and in North America. In the nineteenth century, biogeographers, studying species distributions across the globe, introduced the first native and non-native species categorizations, and prominent researchers like Charles Darwin began to describe the impacts of introduced species. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, as humans moved increasing numbers of species across the globe, the advent of modern ecology deepened our understanding of the scope of the problem.

In Ecological Explosions, invasive species expert Daniel Simberloff provides a thorough overview of the development of invasion science, from early research--including from the perspectives of leading scientists like Aldo Leopold--to the field's future. Simberloff explores the work of pioneering ecologists like Charles Elton, antecedents of what became today's invasion biology, before discussing the field's true emergence in the 1980s, its explosive methodological and theoretical expansion, its integration with other disciplines, and its increasing visibility, not only within the biological literature but also in government policies across the world in the 1990s. Finally, he investigates current controversies, such as the debate over whether the entire science is xenophobic, and asks how ecosystems might adapt to a rapidly globalizing world and ever-increasing numbers of introduced species--including the joro spider, lionfish, spotted lanternfly, common reed, and Asian carp.

Review Quotes

"The book Ecological Explosions erupts like a volcano, mirroring both the explosive pace of biological invasions and the growing scientific interest they have generated over time. The first section bursts forth with seminal examples of species introductions--both individual cases and mass movements--and their devastating ecological impacts. It highlights visionary scholars who recognized species movements driven by human activity as major transformers of ecosystems, working decades before terms like 'biodiversity' and 'global change' emerged in the 1980s and 1990s, and long before invasion biology entered the mainstream scientific agenda.

The second section flows like molten lava, embracing the interdisciplinary nature of invasion science. Over the past fifty years, researchers have made impressive progress in understanding the evolutionary, ecological, and socio-economic processes that influence non-native species invasions and their far-reaching impacts. The book also identifies knowledge craters--gaps in scientific understanding and ongoing controversies challenged by denialism and oversimplified thinking.

The breadth of topics covered is remarkable, presented in a language accessible not only to invasion biology experts, but to anyone curious about the causes and consequences of species reshuffling across the globe.

Simberloff's encyclopedic knowledge is truly exceptional. He possesses a unique capacity to bring a vast reservoir of scientific understanding to the surface, making it comprehensible to both academic and general audiences. Ecological Explosions is a masterpiece that will appeal to readers interested in the history of science, biogeography, nature conservation, environmental management, socio-ecological systems, and beyond."--Montserrat Vilà, Estación Biológica de Doñana-CSIC & Universidad de Sevilla, Spain

"Ecological Explosions provides an authoritative and comprehensive historical account of biological invasions and the science directed at understanding and managing them. It describes human-mediated species movements from prehistory and antiquity through to the present day, detailing how a 'trickle' of introductions became a 'flood.' It delivers an engrossing insider's view of the controversies, key questions, and rapid developments that continue to shape the exciting field of invasion science."--David M. Richardson, Centre for Invasion Biology, Stellenbosch University, South Africa

"This is a big, fascinating book on a huge, important subject. The breadth of its historical scope, the depth of its science, the authority of its insights--and its steady, graceful voice--reflect the special strengths of Simberloff."--David Quammen, New York Times best-selling author of "Spillover," "The Tangled Tree," and "Breathless"

"Invasive Species will reward those who demand well-documented information. . . . By extending his wide-ranging survey of biological invasions beyond their biology, Simberloff acknowledges the crucial human dimensions of invasive species."-- "Science, on "Invasive Species""

About the Author

Daniel Simberloff is the Nancy Gore Hunger Professor of Ecological Studies at the University of Tennessee. His books include Invasive Species: What Everyone Needs to Know and Encyclopedia of Biological Invasions. He was formerly editor-in-chief of Biological Invasions.