Strangers in Paradise: Impact and Management of Nonindigenous Species in Florida

Daniel Simberloff, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Abstract

The book arose from our conviction that Florida is a state in serious trouble from nonindigenous species and that the lessons we have learned about the problems these species pose, and how to deal with them, are valuable far beyond Florida. Florida and Hawaii are the states most affected by nonindigenous species, and in Florida can be found versions of virtually all the problems described in the burgeoning literature on invasion biology. Further, some regions and habitats in Florida are much less affected by the nonindigenous species than others. Why? In parts of southern Florida, the seeds of introduced plants pollinated by introduced insects are eaten and dispersed by introduced birds. Entire landscapes there are dominated by introduced plants. Such stories and scenes are uncommon in northern Florida. Moreover, some introduced species, though persistent, have seemed ecologically innocuous, while others are scourges. Some plant species have changed entire major ecosystems, while others are harmless curiosities. nonindigenous species of whole animal groups, reptiles and amphibians, for example, seem ecologically benign. What causes these differences among taxa? What can we predict about potential invaders from observing the effects of past incursions?