Nature Out of Place: Biological Invasions in the Global Age

by Jason Van Driesche, Roy Van Driesche

Though the forests are still green and the lakes full of water, an unending stream of invasions is changing many ecosystems around the world from productive, tightly integrated webs of native species to loose assemblages of stressed native species and aggressive invaders. The earth is becoming what author David Quammen has called a "planet of weeds." Nature Out of Place brings this devastating but overlooked crisis to the forefront of public consciousness by offering a fascinating exploration of its causes and consequences, along with a thoughtful and practical consideration of what can be done about it. The father and son team of Jason and Roy Van Driesche offer a unique combination of narratives that highlight specific locations and problems along with comprehensive explanations of the underlying scientific and policy issues.Chapters examine Hawaii, where introduced feral pigs are destroying the islands' native forests; zebra mussel invasion in the rivers of Ohio; the decades-long effort to eradicate an invasive weed on the Great Plains; and a story about the restoration of both ecological and human history in an urban natural area. In-depth background chapters explain topics ranging from how ecosystems become diverse, to the characteristics of effective invaders, to procedures and policies that can help prevent future invasions. The book ends with a number of specific suggestions for ways that individuals can help reduce the impacts of invasive species, and offers resources for further information.By bringing the problem of invasive species to life for readers at all levels, Nature Out of Place will play an essential role in the vital effort to raise public awareness of this ongoing ecological crisis.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature

377 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Katie English · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is overall extremely informative. It can be a little long and wordy at times but it is filled with information that clearly explains biological invasions in detail. It gives real world examples, real life quotes, and photos. It helped me to better understand the impacts, dangers and importance of biological invasions. I would recommended this book to people who enjoy or are curious about this topic. Otherwise it could be boring if you are not fully engaged. Overall I enjoyed reading the book at most times.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was overall an interesting and informative book. It gets a little dry and repetitive at times but it does a good job at informing readers. It's a great read for anyone interested in invasive species and everything that goes along with them. I'd highly recommend this for both people who are just beginning to get into ecology as well as people well versed in the subject.

[dejah_thoris · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is more of a 2.5 than a 2 because the content for the date of publication was good, but the writing was EXTREMELY dry at times, even for someone who reads nonfiction. If you're writing a paper, I recommend reading the chapters written by Jason and skimming those written by his father Roy because Roy goes into great detail with several solutions explored for each problem in great detail whereas Jason writes more about the experience of exploring these various places. Honestly, I think it would have been a better book if each of the double chapters could have been combined, so the technical information wasn't as overwhelming or repetitive. Overall, I learned a good deal about environmental preservation and how to combat my local purple loosestrife infestation, so that's what matters.

[Randall Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

again i learned a lot that left me sad...but it also gave me some hope