Determining Whether the Impacts of Introduced Species Are Negative Cannot Be Based Solely on Science: A Response to Russell and Blackburn

摘要

In a recent article in TREE, Russell and Blackburn [1] consider that challenging the negative impacts of invasive alien species (IAS) is akin to science denialism and, by citing and referring to our work, implicitly denounce us as science or IAS denialists. Furthermore, they draw strong parallels between IAS denialists and those who deny the ‘risks of tobacco smoking or immunisation, the causes of AIDS or climate change'. We find this allusion to be poorly considered and indefensible.