Fact and value in invasion biology

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Conservation Biology
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Invasion biology is a field that examines the impacts of nonindigenous species.
• A purported consensus exists among some invasion biologists on four key propositions.
• These propositions relate to cost estimates, extinction threats, species differentiation, and the role of ontological dualism.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically evaluate the empirical evidence supporting the four main propositions of the alleged consensus in invasion biology.
• To question the validity of claims based on consensus rather than robust scientific evidence.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and critical analysis of existing studies and arguments within invasion biology.
• Examination of empirical data and theoretical underpinnings of the four contested propositions.

Main Results:

• No convincing empirical evidence was found to support the credibility of cost estimates for nonindigenous species effects.
• The claim that invasive species generally pose significant extinction threats lacks sufficient empirical backing.
• Characteristic biological differences distinguishing novel from native species and processes are not convincingly demonstrated.
• The utility of ontological dualism in distinguishing natural from anthropogenic influences in biological inquiry is not empirically supported.

Conclusions:

• The alleged consensus in invasion biology is not substantiated by strong empirical evidence.
• The reliance on agreement as proof, rather than evidence, is a flawed approach in scientific discourse.
• Further research is needed to rigorously test the propositions central to invasion biology.