Exotic species: A source of insight into ecology, evolution, and biogeography

Exotic species pose a serious threat to the structure and function of native ecosystems and cause significant economic damage. In spite of these costs, exotic species present unique opportunities to advance our conceptual understanding of ecological patterns and processes. By using exotic species as a vast array of natural experiments we can address questions at scales that would otherwise be non-experimental, and we can observe processes that have occurred repeatedly in the past, but that have previously gone unrecorded. Indeed exotic species may present one of the best inroads available to understanding ecology, evolution and biogeography. The goals of this working group are three-fold. First, to explore the insights that exotic species provide to fundamental conceptual issues in ecology, evolution and biogeography. Second, to provide a model for the budding field of invasion biology, which currently is focused strongly on applied issues, but which could be redirected to simultaneously study both applied and conceptual issues. Third, to use the insights we gain to ecology, evolution and biogeography to in turn improve our ability to manage and mitigate the damage caused by exotic species. To accomplish these goals, we propose a novel model that includes the delegation of work prior to the first meeting of the working group; we have identified a motivated body of scientists who are ready to initiate this work. This approach should allow us to produce a great number of conceptual insights, as well as a great number of important publications, that will advance the study of ecological systems and our ability to effectively manage them.