Invasive plant ecology

"Invasion is not a novel phenomenon; however, it is one that has increased tremendously during the past few years due to rapidly expanding trade and transport among countries. It is one of the most important impact humans have ever produced on the Earth's ecosystems. In fact, it has led to globalization of world biota, further resulting in biotic homogenization. While some argue that invasion biologists should adopt a more objective and dispassionate stance toward invasive species, everyone agrees that it is a problem that needs attention and action. Recognizing that a deeper understanding of biological characteristics of invasive species and the ecological principles that underpin the invasion process is critical in formulating management decisions, the scientific community has done an exemplary job in publishing original research as well as synthesis articles on the subject in recent years. Unfortunately, the science is still lagging behind, necessitating a reactive rather than a proactive response to the problem. The body of knowledge is growing so fast, including our ability to predict invasions. This will accelerate the science-based decision making, whether it is for reactive or proactive management or for developing effective public policies. The idea for this book began back in 2009 when the editors organized a regional IUFRO (International Union of Forestry Research Organizations) conference on invasive plants in Chandigarh, India. They met again in 2010 at the XXIII IUFOR World Congress in Seoul and finalized the plan for a book that would focus on invasive plant ecology. In addition to selected presentations from the IUFRO conference and the Congress, several prominent authors were invited to contribute chapters on specific topics. In the end, we accepted 18 chapters in the current volume"--

Ch. 1. Invasive plant ecology: the horse behind the cart? / Shibu Jose, Harminder Pal Singh, Daizy R. Batish, Ravinder Kumar Kohli, and Sougata Bardhan -- Ch. 2. What makes alien plants so successful? Exploration of the ecological basis / Eric J. Holzmueller and Shibu Jose -- Ch. 3. Novel weapon hypothesis for the successful establishment of invasive plants in alien environments: a critical appraisal / Daizy R. Batish, Harminder Pal Singh, Shalinder Kaur, Priyanka, and Ravinder Kumar Koldi -- Ch. 4. Functional basis for geographical variation in growth among invasive plants / John C. Volin, Jason R. Parent, and Lindsay M. Dreiss -- Ch. 5. Aboveground-belowground interactions: Implication for invasiveness / Priyanka Srivastava, Gyan P. Sharma, and A.S. Raghubanshi -- Ch. 6. From species coexistence to genotype coexistence: what can we learn from invasive plants? / Alexandra Robin Collins and Jane Molofsky -- Ch. 7. Mycorrhizae and alien plants / Donald L. Hagan and Shibu Jose -- Ch. 8. Exotic plant response to forest disturbance in the western United States / Carl E. Fiedler, Erich K. Dodson, and Kerry L. Metlen -- ch. 9. Effects of silvicultural practices on invasive plant species…