Revue internationale d'écologie méditerranéenne International ...

264
◆ ANALYSES D’OUVRAGES
tradition, une bibliographie conséquente (plus de 700 références)
conclut l’ouvrage et constitue un véritable tour d’horizon de
l’ornithologie marocaine. A noter qu’un problème technique a
sans doute été à l’origine de la non-impression des 20 dernières
références qui sont disponibles à l’adresse internet suivante :
www.bou.org.uk/pubchkl.html.
Voilà donc en conclusion, un ouvrage qui était très attendu
par la communauté ornithologique du Paléarctique (aucun
ouvrage de synthèse n’était paru depuis les années 1960) et qui
ne déçoit pas ses lecteurs. A la lecture fine de certains commentaires
des auteurs, on est cependant frappé par la fragilisation
récente de nombreux groupes tout entiers, dont le braconnage,
la chasse intensive ou la dégradation des milieux semblent devoir
avoir bientôt raison. L’effondrement des populations de nombreuses
espèces de rapaces diurnes en particulier, semble en ce
sens particulièrement critique et terriblement préoccupant.
ERIC VIDAL
Institut méditerranéen d’écologie et de paléoécologie
(IMEP, UMR CNRS 6116),
Université d’Aix-Marseille III, Europôle de l’Arbois,
BP80. F-13545 Aix-en-Provence cedex 04
Invasion biology:
critique of a pseudoscience
David I. Theodoropoulos
Avvar Books, Blythe (California), 237 p. (2003) www.avvar.com
David I. Theodoropoulos’ book draws attention to the importance
given by today’s scientific community to the phenomenon
of biological invasions. Currently, biological invasions are often
cited as the second most important menace to the world’s biodiversity,
a view adamantly countered by Theodoropoulos. Some
of his more notable conclusions include that, all to the contrary,
anthropogenic dispersal is ecologically beneficial, increases
biological diversity, speeds evolution, and protects taxa from
extinction. He criticises invasion biologists for unjustifiably
extrapolating from non-representative or poorly constructed
field conditions, and demonstrating extremism. In addition, he
states that “faulty categories, emotionalism, and fundamental processes
of human psychology lie at the root of the spread of invasion
fears, and have caused the misperceptions and misattributions from
which the ideology of invasion biology is constructed.” He has even
connected invasion biology to the Nazis and financial support
from destructive corporations !
Ironically, his black-and-white analysis of the debate appears
as extreme or more so than the present behaviour of the scientific
community, where farfetched psychological links should not enter
into play (one hopes). Notably, his strong, blanket assertions,
some of which are exampled above, are just as untenable as their
opposites. In addition, the literature on the subject, especially that
dealing with plant invasions, is permeated with studies examining
the role of human disturbance in the invasion process, and explicitly
states that only a fraction of exotic species are considered as
pests. This does not seem nearly as extreme as Theodoropoulos’
finger pointing makes it out to be. Furthermore, a casual glance
at the causes of rarity given in several red lists indicates that
there definitely is a problem associated with biological invasions.
Now, to what extent this problem is restricted to islands, or is
comparable to or interacts with something like habitat loss, or
other causes of rarity, is more difficult to say. Theodoropoulos’
provocation is useful and welcome in that it incites the scientific
community to deepen the basis for what is currently regarded
as a global problem. A meta-study ranking documented causes
of rarity/extinction and studying their interaction would be a
good start. However, to casually dismiss the biological invasion
phenomenon is senseless; one has only to remember the havoc
wreaked on Australia.
CAREY M. SUEHS
Institut méditerranéen d’écologie et de paléoécologie
(IMEP, UMR CNRS 6116),
Université d’Aix-Marseille III, Europôle de l’Arbois,
BP80. F-13545 Aix-en-Provence cedex 04
ecologia mediterranea, tome 29, fascicule 2, 2003