Glossary of invasion biology terms
The need for a clearly defined and consistent invasion biology terminology has been acknowledged by many sources. Invasive species, or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats. Invasion biology is the study of these organisms and the processes of species invasion.
The terminology in this article contains definitions for invasion biology terms in common usage today, taken from accessible publications. References for each definition are included. Terminology relates primarily to invasion biology terms with some ecology terms included to clarify language and phrases on linked articles.
Introduction
Definitions of "invasive non-indigenous species have been inconsistent", which has led to confusion both in literature and in popular publications. Also, many scientists and managers feel that there is no firm definition of non-indigenous species, native species, exotic species, "and so on, and ecologists do not use the terms consistently." Another question asked is whether current language is likely to promote "effective and appropriate action" towards invasive species through cohesive language. Biologists today spend more time and effort on invasive species work because of the rapid spread, economic cost, and effects on ecological systems, so the importance of effective communication about invasive species is clear.Controversy in invasion biology terms exists because of past usage and because of preferences for certain terms. Even for biologists, defining a species as native may be far from being a straightforward matter of biological classification based on the location or the discipline a biologist is working in. Questions often arise as to what exactly makes a species native as opposed to non-native, because some non-native species have no known negative effects. Natural biological invasions, generally considered range expansions, and introductions involving human activities are important and could be considered a normal ecological process. Non-native and native species may be sometimes considered invasive, and these invasions often follow human-induced landscape changes, with subsequent damage to existing landscapes a value judgment. As a result, many important terms relevant to invasion biology, such as invasive, weed, or transient, include qualities that are "open to subjective interpretation". Sometimes one species can have both beneficial and detrimental effects, such as the Mosquito fish, which has been widely introduced because of its suppression of larval mosquitoes, although it also has negative impacts on native species of insects, fish and amphibians.
The large number and current complexity of terms makes interpretation of some of the invasion biology literature challenging and intimidating. Exotic, alien, transplanted, introduced, non-indigenous, and invasive are all words that have been used to describe plants and animals that have been moved beyond their native ranges by humans, along with other terms such as foreign, injurious, aquatic nuisance, pest, non-native, all with a particular implication. Even the use of what seem to be simple, basic terms to articulate ecological concepts "can confuse ideological debates and undermine management efforts". Attempts to redefine commonly used terms in invasion biology have been difficult because many authors and biologists are particular to a favorite definition. Also, the status and identification of any species as an invader, a weed, or an exotic are "conditioned by cultural and political circumstances."
Terminology
Where words in a sentence are also defined elsewhere in this article, they appear in italics.Adventive species
A species, that is introduced in a new environment and successfully reproduces without human intervention, but does not necessarily formed sustained populations.
;Alien species
;Aquatic nuisance species
;Biological control or biocontrol
;Biological invasion or bioinvasion
;Biological diversity
;Biological control
;Bioregion
;Biota
;Casual species
;Chemical control
;Community
;Cryptogenic species
;Cultivar: A variety of a plant produced and maintained by horticultural techniques and not normally found in wild populations.
;Disturbance: An event or change in the environment that alters the composition and successional status of a biological community and may deflect succession onto a new trajectory, such as a forest fire or hurricane, glaciation, agriculture, and urbanization.
;Ecosystem: A discrete unit, or community of organisms and their physical environment, that interact to form a stable system.
;Endemic: A species or taxonomic group that is restricted to a particular geographic region because of such factors as isolation or response to soil or climatic conditions; this species is said to be endemic to the region.
;Exotic species
;Fauna: The animal life of a region or geological period.
;Foreign species : A species introduced to a new area or country. Similar terms include alien species, exotic species, introduced species, non indigenous species, and non native species.
;Flora: Plant or bacterial life forms of a region or geological period.
;Habitat: The place, including physical and biotic conditions, where a plant or an animal usually occurs.
;Herbicide: Pesticide that specifically targets vegetation.
;Hybridization: Production of novel genotypes, through mating between distinct species or ecotypes. Novel genotypes may be more invasive than parental genotypes.
;Indigenous : A species that occurs naturally in an area; a synonym for native species.
;Injurious species: An introduced species that causes economic or environmental harm to humans. Similar terms include aquatic nuisance species, noxious weed, and invasive species.
;Intentional introduction: A species that is brought to a new area, country, or bioregion for a specific purpose, such as for a garden or lawn; a crop species; a landscaping species; a species that provides food; a groundcover species; for soil stabilization or hydrological control; for aesthetics or familiarity of the species; or other purposeful reasons.
;Introduced species: This term, along with the terms introduced species and nonindigenous species, is one of the most commonly used terms to describe a plant or animal species that is not originally from the area in which it occurs. This terms means those species that have been transported by human activities, either intentionally or unintentionally, into a region in which they did not occur in historical time and are now reproducing in the wild. Similar terms include alien species, exotic species, foreign species, non indigenous species, and non native species.
;Invasibility: The ease with which a habitat is invaded.
;Invasion : The expansion of a species into an area not previously occupied by it.
;Invasive species: Generally, this term refers to a subset of plants or animals that are introduced to an area, survive, and reproduce, and expand beyond the original area of introduction. This is the biological definition. Practical definitions add that they cause harm economically or environmentally within the new area of introduction.
;Integrated pest management: IPM focuses on long-term prevention or suppression of pests. The integrated approach to weed management incorporates the best suited cultural, biological and chemical controls that have minimum impact on the environment and on people.
;Manual control: Removal that involves the use of tools such as shovels, axes, rakes, grubbing hoes, and hand clippers to expose, cut, and remove flowers, fruits, stems, leaves, and/or roots from target plants.
;Mechanical control: Removal that involves the use of motorized equipment such as mowers, "weed-whackers", and tractor-mounted plows, disks, and sweepers. Burning is also categorized here.
;Native range: The ecosystem that a species inhabits.
;Native species :
;Native weed : A species that is native to an area or bioregion that has increased in number dramatically. In cases of disturbance or change to a landscape, a ruderal species can increase in cover and compete with other native plants, threatening the diversity of a community. In other cases, landscape level changes can cause the increase of the population of a species, such as white-tailed deer in the northeastern part of the United States, which are at the highest levels historically and cause damage to humans, crops, and structures, suffer high disease levels, and pose threats to humans through interactions on roads.
;Naturalized species :
;Neobiota: An umbrella term for the entirety of all non-native species, independently of their taxonomic rank, naturalization status or time of introduction, without defining these by a negation or by an evaluative approach.
;Nonindigenous species: This is a common term used along with non native species and introduced species in current literature and publications; other similar terms include alien species, exotic species, and foreign species.
;Non native species: This term, along with the terms introduced species and nonindigenous species, is one of the most commonly used terms to describe a plant or animal species that is not originally from the area in which it occurs. Similar terms also include alien species, exotic species, and foreign species. This term has also been defined as:
;Noxious weed: This term is frequently a legal term in state code, denoting a special status of the plant as, for example, prohibited or restricted.
;Pathway :
;Pest:
;Pesticide: A chemical or biological agent intended to prevent, destroy, repel, or mitigate plant or animal life and any substance intended for use as a plant regulator, defoliant, or desiccant, including insecticides, fungicides, rodenticides, herbicides, nematocides, and biocides.
;Population: A group of potentially inter-breeding individuals of the same species found in the same place at the same time.
;Prohibited weed: A specific legal term applied to a plant or plant part that may not be brought into a state.
;Restricted weed: A specific legal term applied to a plant or plant part that may only be brought into a state in limited quantities.
;Ruderal species: A plant associated with human dwellings, construction, or agriculture, that usually colonizes disturbed or waste ground. Ruderals are often weeds which have high demands for nutrients and are intolerant of competition. See also native weed or invasive native.
;Seed bank: Seeds that become incorporated into the soil.
;Species: A group of organisms formally recognized as distinct from other groups; the taxon rank in the hierarchy of biological classification below genus; the basic unit of biological classification, defined by the reproductive isolation of the group from all other groups of organisms.
;Tens rule
;Time lag
;Unintentional introduction: An introduction of nonindigenous species that occurs as the result of activities other than the purposeful or intentional introduction of the species involved, such as the transport of nonindigenous species in ballast or in water used to transport fish, mollusks or crustaceans for aquaculture or other purposes.
;Vector : The physical means or agent by which a species is transported, such as ballast water, ships' hulls, boats, hiking boats, cars, vehicles, packing material, or soil in nursery stock. See also pathway.
;Weed:
Legal definitions
;Invasive species (United States);Introduction (United States)
;Native species (United States)
;Nonindigenous species (United States)
;Species (United States)
;Unintentional introduction (United States)