Invasive and Introduced Plants and Animals: Human Perceptions and Approaches to Management ed. by Ian D. Rotherham et al. (review)

Invasive and introduced species have everything to do with people, from their initial transportation to their spread and the vulnerability of some habitats to invasion. Where most biologists and land managers see the consequence of biological invasions as habitat degradation and loss of species diversity, often the public just sees more green plants and furry animals. The costs of control go up as species become better established, but many species are introduced for their perceived economic or environmental benefits, causing conflicts between industry, policy makers, and land managers. Invasive and Introduced Plants and Animals: Human Perceptions and Approaches to Management provides the framework to understand how history and culture explain people's attitudes and perceptions about introduced and invasive species.

Rotherham and Lambert have assembled a diverse set of authors from around the world representing disciplines in biological and social sciences, environmental history, and philosophy. The book is divided into four sections. Between a brief introductory section and conclusion, the other chapters discuss aspects of human attitudes and perceptions and provide specific case studies.

The definitions of introduced and invasive species reflect human perception and receive historical treatment in several chapters. In "Anekeitaxonomy: Botany, Place and Belonging," Mathew Chew reviews "anekeitaxonomy", the history of distinguishing native and non-native species. In this chapter, Chew reviews that in 1835, John Henslow defined exotic and naturalized plants because he felt they confounded the study of natural history. Richardson et al. (2000) were concerned with the ecological role of non-native plants, ranging from "alien plants" to "transformers" (p. 149). Interesting questions arise throughout the book about defining what is native as well. Is there a point in time when introduced plants and animals should be considered native? Particularly in Europe, where trade routes have been established since before Roman times, it is often difficult to determine which species actually originated in a particular country. Scottish icons such as the red squirrel and red deer were reintroduced from populations in other parts of Europe, so are they still native? Wild boar re-introduced from Europe to England have hybridized with domestic pigs, so are these hybrid boars really native to England?

The uncertainty over definitions of native, alien and invasive as well as differing views on the impacts of invasive species result in significant contention between advocates of invasive species control and advocates of a "let nature take its course" approach. Several authors in this text refer to the preference for native species as potentially xenophobic because they argue that the preference is based on more on cultural and moral values than on any inherent biological differences. Charles Warren argues that all species should instead be "evaluated on the grounds of their context-specific impacts, both ecological and cultural" to avoid moral overtones (p. 76). Daniel Simberloff acknowledges the charge of xenophobia in his chapter on American attitudes towards invasive species but points out that many of those claiming xenophobia fail to acknowledge the very real negative impacts of some introduced species.

The success of policy strategies related to invasive species also relies on human perspectives. Mark Sagoff's chapter focusing on property rights makes the extreme argument that there is nothing wrong with invasive species that affect natural areas. He claims that invasion biologists and ecologists have been unsuccessful in promoting policy to control invasive species because they cannot prove that environmental harm has been done and have therefore "failed to connect their interests as scientists with the public interest" (page 96). Economists Craig Osteen and Michael Livingston put forward economic arguments about why policy related to invasive species does not always work, pointing out that cost-benefit comparisons reflect both biological and institutional factors as well as people's objectives, values and preferences. Case studies from the Mediterranean illustrate how preferences might change in a chapter by Francesca Gherardi. She presents the...