This field guide enables the identification of a range of invasive plants and animals now found in Britain.
The impact of invasive organisms is second only to habitat loss as a threat to biodiversity and yet, despite increasing ecological awareness, people remain largely unaware of these plants and animals and their potentially devastating impact. Although most biological introductions fail, many prove successful and these can prove disastrous for native fauna and flora.
Though the invasive species covered in this book are of particular concern to conservationists there has previously been no unified guide devoted to their recognition. Field Guide to Invasive Plants and Animals in Britain acts both as an ID guide, appealing to the amateur naturalist, and as an important tool for ecologists and land managers attempting to tackle the problem posed by invasive species.
Introduction
Scope
- How to use this field guide
- Recording invasive non-native species
- Biosecurity
- Invasive non-native species and the law
Plants
- Trees
- Shrubs
- Climbers and creepers
- Herbs
- Grasses and bamboos
- Mosses and liverworts
- Aquatic plants
Animals
- Mammals
- Birds
- Amphibians
- Reptiles
- Fish
- Freshwater invertebrates
- Terrestrial invertebrates
Glossary
References
index
Acknowledgements
Working at the sharp end of biological introduction, professional ecologists Max Wade, Olaf Booy and Helen Roy are experts in the field of invasive organisms. Between them they have written several books and academic papers, developed key species management techniques and established removal programmes for invasive plants across the UK.