Biological Invasions : Economic and Environmental Costs of Alien Plant, Animal, and Microbe Species, Second Edition

"A revised, expanded, and updated second version to the successful , this reference discusses how non-native species invade new ecosystems and the subsequent economic and environmental effects of these species. With nine new chapters, this text provides detailed information on the major components of the invasive-species problem from six continents, including impacts on human health and livestock. The book examines ways in which non-native species destroy vital crops and forests; damage ecosystem dynamics, which leads to plant and animal biodiversity losses; and cause soil erosion and water loss"--"Some 10 million species of plants, animals, and microbes are thought to inhabit the earth, but so far only about 1.5 million of these have been identified. A mere 15 of the approximately 250,000 known plant species provide the world's human population with about 90 percent of its food.1 These crops are wheat, rice, corn, rye, barley, soybeans, and common millet. Although these crops are now grown in nearly every nation, only one or two of these crop species originated in any specific country. Among animals, eight species currently provide the bulk of the meat, milk, and eggs consumed by humans. These leading livestock species are cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, horses, camels, chickens, and ducks. Farms in the United States feed approximately 100 million cattle, 7 million sheep, and 9 billion chickens each year"-- Read more... Content: Introduction: Nonnative species in the world / David Pimentel -- The impacts of alien plants in Australia / Richard H. Groves -- Environmental and economic costs of invertebrate invasions in Australia / Deon Canyon ... [et al.] -- Invasive vertebrates in Brazil / Carlos Frederico D. Rocha, Helena Godoy Bergallo, and Rosana Mazzoni -- Alien plants in Britain / Mark Williamson -- Economic, environmental, and social dimensions of alien vertebrate species in Britain / Piran C. L. White ... [et al.] -- Impacts of alien vertebrates in Europe / Susan M. Shirley and Salit Kark -- Invasive patterns of alien terrestrial invertebrates in Europe / Alain Roques -- Invasive plant pathogens in Europe / Ivan Sache ... [et al.] -- Invasive plants in the Indian subcontinent / Daizy R. Batish, R. K. Kohli, and H. P. Singh -- Invasive invertebrates in India: economic implications / T. N. Ananthakrishnan -- Economic impacts of weeds in New Zealand: some examples / Peter A. Williams and Susan M. Timmins -- Ecological and economic costs of alien vertebrates in New Zealand / M. N. Clout -- The economic consequences of the environmental impacts of alien plant invasions in South Africa / D. C. Le Maitre ... [et al.] -- Invasive vertebrates of South Africa / Berndt J. van Rensburg ... [et al.] -- Rodents and other vertebrate invaders in the United States / Michael W. Fall ... [et al.] -- Environmental and economic costs associated with alien invasive species in the United States / David Pimentel. Abstract: "A revised, expanded, and updated second version to the successful , this reference discusses how non-native species invade new ecosystems and the subsequent economic and environmental effects of these species. With nine new chapters, this text provides detailed information on the major components of the invasive-species problem from six continents, including impacts on human health and livestock. The book examines ways in which non-native species destroy vital crops and forests; damage ecosystem dynamics, which leads to plant and animal biodiversity losses; and cause soil erosion and water loss"--"Some 10 million species of plants, animals, and microbes are thought to inhabit the earth, but so far only about 1.5 million of these have been identified. A mere 15 of the approximately 250,000 known plant species provide the world's human population with about 90 percent of its food.1 These crops are wheat, rice, corn, rye, barley, soybeans, and common millet. Although these crops are now grown in nearly every nation, only one or two of these crop species originated in any specific country. Among animals, eight species currently provide the bulk of the meat, milk, and eggs consumed by humans. These leading livestock species are cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, horses, camels, chickens, and ducks. Farms in the United States feed approximately 100 million cattle, 7 million sheep, and 9 billion chickens each year" "A revised, expanded, and updated second version to the successful Biological Invasions: Economic and Environmental Costs of Alien Plant, Animal, and Microbe Species , this reference discusses how non-native species invade new ecosystems and the subsequent economic and environmental effects of these species. With nine new chapters, this text provides detailed information on the major components of the invasive-species problem from six continents, including impacts on human health and livestock. The book examines ways in which non-native species destroy vital crops and forests; damage ecosystem dynamics, which leads to plant and animal biodiversity losses; and cause soil erosion and water loss"-- "Some 10 million species of plants, animals, and microbes are thought to inhabit the earth, but so far only about 1.5 million of these have been identified. A mere 15 of the approximately 250,000 known plant species provide the world's human population with about 90 percent of its food.1 These crops are wheat, rice, corn, rye, barley, soybeans, and common millet. Although these crops are now grown in nearly every nation, only one or two of these crop species originated in any specific country. Among animals, eight species currently provide the bulk of the meat, milk, and eggs consumed by humans. These leading livestock species are cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, horses, camels, chickens, and ducks. Farms in the United States feed approximately 100 million cattle, 7 million sheep, and 9 billion chickens each year"-- "The impact of invasive species is second only to that of human population growth and associated activities as a cause of the loss of biodiversity throughout the world. In the United States, invasions of nonnative plants, animals, or microbes cause major environmental damage. The second edition of Biological Invasions: Economic and Environmental Costs of Alien Plant, Animal, and Microbe Species represents the most current, single-source reference containing scientific and economic information on this timely subject. This volume reconfirms the diverse and unpredictable roles that non-native species assume as they invade new ecosystems: destruction of vital crops and forests, major damages to ecosystems leading to loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, and water loss. The text provides information on how the non-native species invade new ecosystems, their subsequent environmental effects, and estimates on economic impacts. Biological Invasions supplies scientists, policymakers, and the public with a better understanding of the invading species and how to prevent their spread and improve control procedure."--[Source inconnue]