Bringing together ecology and management of invasive plants within natural and agricultural ecosystems, this book bridges the knowledge gap between the processes operating within ecosystems and the practices used to prevent, contain, control and eradicate invasive plant species. The book targets key processes that can be managed, the impact of invasive plants on these ecosystem processes and illustrates how adopting ecologically based principles can influence the ecosystem and lead to effective land management.

Invasion of non-native plant species, which has a significant impact on the earth's ecosystems, has greatly increased in recent years due to expanding trade and transport among different countries. Understanding the ecological principles underlying the invasive process as well as the characteristics of the invasive plants is crucial for making good

Invasive plants have an impact on global biodiversity and ecosystem function, and their management is a complex task. The aim of this book is to discuss fundamental questions of invasion ecology, such as why particular communities become more invasible than others, what the mechanisms of exclusion of native species by invaders are, and whether invasion can be predicted. In addition, agricultural practices influencing invasion, the environmental and economic costs of invasion as well as possible management strategies are discussed. Readers will get a unique perspective on invasion ecology through employing general principles of ecology to plant invasions.

Risk assessment, detection, control, legal, instruments, plants, animals.

A collection of 20 papers by internationally renowned environmental scientists and other authorities concerned with the problems of introduced plants invading river corridors and other habitats in the UK and numerous European countries. Discusses cutting edge control techniques from grazing through chemical and biological restraints. Presents the latest scientific theories on plant invasions along with several practical-based case studies.

Invasive species constitute a significant environmental and economic threat worldwide, acting as a key driver of biodiversity loss and ecosystem function disruption globally. Biological invasions have the potential to dramatically affect species composition, guild structure and alter interspecific interactions within the invaded community. This book provides the reader with new research on invasive species. Chapter One reviews the adaptive responses of Phalaris arundinacea, an invasive wetland grass, to water stress. Chapter Two discusses the expansion of spider species to help better understand their potential for biological control of pests in agricultural landscapes and for conservation of biodiversity within the ecosystems in which they are found. Chapter Three explores the feasibility of using Parkinsonea aculeata wood as a feedstock for the sustainable development of adsorbents targeted at pollutants removal from wastewater. Chapter Four gives background information on several origins of invasive species, how invasive species respond to environmental changes, and insights on integrated management strategies that focus on enhancing species and ecosystem adaptive capacity and reducing the risks from biodiversity degradation.

Most prairies exist today as fragmented landscapes, making thoughtful and vigilant management ever more important. Intended for landowners and managers dedicated to understanding and nurturing their prairies as well as farmers, ranchers, conservationists, and all those with a strong interest in grasslands, ecologist Chris Helzer’s readable and practical manual educates prairie owners and managers about grassland ecology and gives them guidelines for keeping prairies diverse, vigorous, and viable. Chapters in the first section, "Prairie Ecology," describe prairie plants and the communities they live in, the ways in which disturbance modifies plant communities, the animal and plant inhabitants that are key to prairie survival, and the importance of diversity within plant and animal communities. Chapters in the second section, "Prairie Management," explore the adaptive management process as well as guiding principles for designing management strategies, examples of successful management systems such as fire and grazing, guidance for dealing with birds and other species that have particular habitat requirements and with the invasive species that have become the most serious threat that prairie managers have to deal with, and general techniques for prairie restoration. Following the conclusion and a forward-thinking note on climate change, eight appendixes provide more information on grazing, prescribed fire, and invasive species as well as bibliographic notes, references, and national and state organizations with expertise in prairie management. Grasslands can be found throughout much of North America, and the ideas and strategies in this book apply to most of them, particularly tallgrass and mixed-grass prairies in eastern North Dakota, eastern South Dakota, eastern Nebraska, eastern Kansas, eastern Oklahoma, northwestern Missouri, northern Illinois, northwestern Indiana, Iowa, southwestern Wisconsin, and southwestern Minnesota. By presenting all the factors that promote biological diversity and thus enhance prairie communities, then incorporating these factors into a set of clear-sighted management practices, The Ecology and Management of Prairies in the Central United States presents the tools necessary to ensure that grasslands are managed in the purposeful ways essential to the continued health and survival of prairie communities.