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7 years ago in Biology , Ecology By Varun

Which classic papers should one read in invasion biology?

To properly contextualize my research on invasive species impacts, I need to engage with the original arguments and frameworks that shaped the discipline. Review papers cite them, but I want to read the foundational texts directly to understand the evolution of core ideas like invasibility and impact.

 

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By Deeksha S Answered 6 years ago

I always have my graduate students begin with three papers that created the field's vocabulary. First, Charles Elton's 1958 book is seminal, but for a paper, I'd point to his earlier work. Second, Gordon Orians's 1986 paper in Ecology on community invasibility is critical. Third, you must read Mark Williamson's 1996 "Biological Invasions" for its framing of key questions. These works provide the conceptual triad historical context, community ecology, and a clear research agenda that everything else builds upon.

 

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