Invasive Species

Biological invasion The process by which an organism is introduced to, and establishes a sustainable population in, a region beyond its native range. Eradication The managed extirpation of an entire nonnative population. Impact The effect of a nonnative species on its environment. Invasibility The vulnerability of a habitat, community, or ecosystem to invasion. Invasion ecology A multidisciplinary field that examines the causes and consequences of biological invasions. Invasional meltdown The phenomenon in which multiple nonnative species facilitate one another’s invasion success and impact. Invasive species Nonnative species with conspicuously high colonization rates. Such species have the potential to spread over long distances. The term invasive is also used (often by policy makers) to describe colonizing species that cause undesirable ecological or economic impacts.