ECO-INVASION
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 1000 ▶ |
| Object type | General information, Human sciences, Methodology or model |
The colonization of a new territory by a vegetal or animal species.
Hundred of dramatic cases are known on all continents. New ones appear every year. Some of them generate enormous economic costs , as for example the South American water hyacinth in Central Africa and in South Asia.
Eco-invasion is perhaps the most significant ecological issue of our time. It started to be an important phenomenon at the time of the great geographical discoveries and its main agent has been, and still is, man. (See Chr. BRIGHT, 1998)
An invading species is frequently devoid of any natural parasite in its new settings. Moreover it benefits in most cases of some advantage as a competitor or predator of older established species. As a result, more than a third of all endangered species of the world are victims of exotic invaders.
From a systemic viewpoint, it is a result of massive development and acceleration of world communications , which are connecting in an evermore efficient way biotopes which were formerly isolated from each others.
The model could be of interest in social sciences .