Publisher's Synopsis
Bio-invasion is now thought to be the second gravest threat to biodiversity in North America, after habitat destruction and degradation. The magnitude of exotic plant invasions in some countries is startling. Exotic species can also be introduced via waterways, wildlife, and wind. This problem is compounded in wilderness because removal methods are limited to the minimum tool necessary to do so. When confronted with widespread distribution and the minimum tool requirement, exotic plant management in wilderness can be a serious obstacle to maintaining natural conditions. Species that become invasive can be introduced either intentionally or unintentionally through pathways (or vectors). These include transportation (by water, land and air; in the goods themselves, in dunnage, packing materials or containers, in or on ships, planes, trains, trucks or cars); agriculture; horticulture and plant nursery stock; aquaculture industry; live food fish industry; bait fish; ornamental pond, water garden and the aquarium pet trades. Where there are no natural predators, they can come to dominate ecosystems, and can alter the composition and structure of food webs, nutrient cycles, fire cycles, and hydrology and energy budgets, threatening agricultural productivity and other industries dependent on living resources (Alonso et al., 2001). As those once-ever forbidden borders become more and more open, bio-invasions are expected to increase. Cross-border and global-wide cooperation is essential to stem the tide of bio-invasion and the damage it causes.
