PAPER: Blurring Alien Introduction Pathways

Blurring Alien Introduction Pathways Risks Losing the Focus on Invasive Species Policy

May 2016

Hulme PE, Bacher S, Kenis M, Kuhn I, Pergl J, Pysek P, Roques A, Vila M. 2017. Blurring Alien Introduction Pathways Risks Losing the Focus on Invasive Species Policy. Conservation Letters 10(2): 265-266.

ABSTRACT

The pathways by which alien species are introduced to new regions fall into six broad classes: deliberate release; escape from captivity; contaminant of a commodity; stowaway on a transport vector; via an infrastructure corridor (without which spread would not be possible) or unaided from other invaded regions. However, Gilroy et al. (2016) argue that species dispersing naturally, through the infrastructure corridor or unaided pathway, should be classed as native rather than alien. We contend their proposal is not only unworkable but also unwise.