INVESTIGADORES
NUÑEZ Martin Andres
artículos
Título:
The elephant in the room: the role of failed invasions in understanding invasion biology.
Autor/es:
ZENNI R. D. & NUÑEZ M. A.
Revista:
OIKOS
Editorial:
WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC
Referencias:
Lugar: Londres; Año: 2012 p. 801 - 815
ISSN:
0030-1299
Resumen:
Most species introductions are not expected to result in invasion, and species that are invasive in one area are frequently
not invasive in others. However, cases of introduced organisms that failed to invade are reported in many instances as
anecdotes or are simply ignored. In this analysis, we aimed to find common characteristics between non-invasive populations
of known invasive species and evaluated how the study of failed invasions can contribute to research on biological
invasions. We found intraspecific variation in invasion success and several recurring explanations for why non-native
species fail to invade; these included low propagule pressure, abiotic resistance, biotic resistance, genetic constraints
and mutualist release. Furthermore, we identified key research topics where ignoring failed invasions could produce
misleading results; these include studies on historical factors associated with invasions, distribution models of invasive
species, the effect of species traits on invasiveness, genetic effects, biotic resistance and habitat invasibility. In conclusion,
we found failed invasions can provide fundamental information on the relative importance of factors determining invasions
and might be a key component of several research topics. Therefore, our analysis suggests that more specific and detailed
studies on invasion failures are necessary.