Restoring the Oceanic Island Ecosystem

The Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands, part of a remote Japanese archipelago, are a typical hot spot of biological invasion. Indigenous fauna and flora, which had long evolved in isolation, suffered devastating deforestation and invasion by multiple alien species in the twentieth century. Studies on the impacts of green anoles, flatworms, goats, cats, black rats, and tree and shrub species, among others, have led to new policies in an attempt to arrest the irreversible damage to the island biota. This book provides an overview of the research findings and countermeasures necessary for the successful management of island ecosystems. Based in research conducted over multiple species, this work provides scientists, researchers, students, and policy makers a unique perspective on the integration of conservation projects running simultaneously in the Bonin Islands and on the diversity of their impacts. Restoring ecosystems through the management of alien species is an important conservation issue and the dream that prompted this book.