Invasive Species in Coastal Dunes and Maritime Forests. Conference Proceedings. Held on July 16-17, 2009.

摘要

Invasive species are now recognized to be one of the leading threats to global biodiversity. Nearly half of the species currently on the US endangered species list have been negatively impacted by invasive species. Moreover, unlike chemical pollution, the biological pollution of invasive species, when left untreated, creates problems that increase, rather than dissipate, over time. Thus, the additional threat posed by exotic and invasive species in the few remaining areas of dune and maritime forest is a matter of particular concern. The gribbon likeh nature of coastal ecosystems means that professionals dealing with these ecosystems are often widely separated in space, so they rarely have the opportunity to meet to exchange information and expertise. One of the goals of this conference was to counteract this isolation by bringing together interested academics, managers, decision-makers, scientists, plant experts, representatives from Federal and State Agencies, landscape and horticultural professionals and environmental consultants from along the Atlantic and Great Lake shorelines to discuss the issues created by invasive species in these ecosystems.