Cover

Invasion Biology and Ecological Theory

Title page

Copyright page

Contents

Contributors

Foreword

1 Testing hypotheses about biological invasions and Charles Darwin’s two-creators rumination

The foundations of ecology

Invasions into and out of Australasia

Hypotheses concerning invasions

The hypotheses tested in this book

How this book is organised

References

Part I Ancient invaders

2 Australia’s Acacia: unrecognised convergent evolution

Introduction

Taxonomic history

Phylogenetic studies

Data to test the biogeographic and invasion hypotheses

References

3 The mixed success of Mimosoideae clades invading into Australia

Introduction

History of invasions

Evaluating the invasion hypotheses for Mimosoideae

Predator Co-Evolution Hypothesis

Acknowledgements

References

4 Perspectives from parrots on biological invasions

Introduction

Developing the historical approach: an example

The evolutionary theatre of Australian, New Zealand and New Guinean parrots

Dispersal of parrots out of (and into?) Australasia: the long-term view

The swift parrot Lathamus discolor and its relatives

Lovebirds and their allies: Agapornithinae

Lories and lorikeets: Loriinae

Cockatoos: Cacatuidae

Psittaculine parrots: Psittaculinae

Tiger parrots (Psittacella) and rosellas (Platycercus): parrot evolution and plate tectonics

African and Neotropical parrots: a note

Synthesis of the historical perspective

From the past to the present: invasion biology of parrots

Galah Eolophus roseicapillus

Little corella Cacatua sanguinea

Crimson rosella Platycercus elegans

Eastern rosella Platycercus eximius

Rainbow lorikeet Trichoglossus haematodus

Monk parakeet Myiopsitta monachus

Conclusion

Acknowledgements

References

5 Invasion ecology of honeyeaters

Introduction

Conclusions

References

6 The invasion of terrestrial fauna into marine habitat: birds in mangroves

References

7 The biological invasion of Sirenia into Australasia

Introduction

References

8 Flying foxes and drifting continents

Introduction

Flying foxes

The Family Pteropodidae

The context of an ‘invasion’

Pteropodid evolutionary history and their arrival in Australia

The pteropodid colonisation in the light of the 11 hypotheses

Pteropodids as invaders

Invasiveness in vertebrates

Are pteropodids typical vertebrate invaders?

Conclusions

References

9 Invasion ecology of Australasian marsupials

Introduction

Conclusions

Acknowledgements

References

10 Murine rodents: late but highly successful invaders

Introduction

Testing the hypotheses

Conclusions

References

11 Drift of a continent: broken connections

Introduction

Current drift of Australia

Historic Australian drift

Building a continent

Precambrian Era: the Columbia and Rodinia Supercontinents

Cambrian supercontinent: Gondwana

Pangaea to present

Influence of continental drift on flora

Australia’s mammal fauna

Monotremes (egg-laying mammals)

Marsupials (pouched mammals)

Placentals

Acknowledgements

References

12 The development of a climate: an arid continent with wet fringes

Introduction

Modern climate system: Australia in a regional context

Climatic history of a continent

Late Mesozoic

Palaeogene

Neogene

Miocene

Pliocene–Pleistocene

Late Pleistocene

Onset of aridity

Northern and western Australia

Central Australia

Southeastern Australia

Discussion and conclusion

References

Part II Modern invaders

13 Invasion by woody shrubs and trees

Introduction

Hypotheses to explain woody shrub and tree invasion in Australia

Conclusions

References

14 Modern tree colonisers from Australia into the rest of the world

Introduction

Eucalypts

Acacias

Casuarinas

Melaleuca quinquenervia

Hypotheses in relation to the introduction of Australian tree species outside Australia

Discussion

Acknowledgements

References

15 Failed introductions: finches from outside Australia

Introduction

Bird species considered and data sources

Hypotheses about species introduction and invasion success

Correlates of introduction success of finches introduced to Australia

Factors associated with introduction success: the hypotheses reviewed

Future directions

Acknowledgements

References

16 The skylark

Introduction

Conclusions

Acknowledgements

References

17 Why northern hemisphere waders did not colonise the south

Introduction

Migration suspension

Upland tundra-like habitat

Wetlands

Alternative hypotheses

Conclusions

Acknowledgements

References

18 Weak migratory interchange by birds between Australia and Asia

Phylogenetic history and present-day biogeography

The evolution and maintenance of present-day patterns of migration

So why so few long-distance migrants into Australia?

References

19 Introducing a new top predator, the dingo

Introduction

Conclusion

References

20 The European rabbit: Australia’s worst mammalian invader

Introduction

The European rabbit

Hypotheses

Pathogens

Parasites

Viruses, bacteria and fungi

Myxomatosis and rabbit haemorrhagic disease

Predators

Acknowledgements

References

21 The rise and fall of the Asian water buffalo in the monsoonal tropics of northern Australia

Forage

Drinking water

Open water for heat regulation

Pigs

Cattle

Horses

Acknowledgements

References

22 A critique of ecological theory and a salute to natural history

Synthetic analyses of the hypotheses

Wider implications for ecological theory and the practice of our science

Conclusion

References

Index