A review of the critics of invasion biology

Abstract

Herein, I review existing criticisms of the field of invasion biology. Firstly, I identifiy problems of conceptual weaknesses,including disagreements regarding: (i) definitions of invasive, impact, and pristine conditions, and (ii) ecological assumptionssuch as species equilibrium, niche saturation, and climax communities. Secondly, I discuss methodological problemsinclude the misuse of correlations, biases in impact reviews and risk assessment, and difficulties in predicting theeffects of species introductions or eradications. Finally, I analyse the social conflict regarding invasive species managementand differences in moral and philosophical foundations. I discuss the recent emergence of alternatives to traditionalinvasion biology approaches, including the concept of novel ecosystems, conciliation biology, and compassionate conservation.Understanding different value systems will be the first step to reconciling the different perspectives related to thiscontroversial topic.