Flora e Fauna Terrestre Invasora na Macaronésia : TOP 100 nos Açores, Madeira e Canárias = Flora y Fauna Terrestre Invasora en la Macaronesia : TOP 100 en Azores, Madeira y Canarias = Invasive terrestrial flora and fauna of Macaronesia : TOP 100 in Azores, Madeira and Canaries

This book aims to answer questions relating to species introduced into the Macaronesian environment, including the Canary Islands (Spain), Madeira (Portugal) and the Azores (Portugal). It is a first attempt to present information regarding alien species in the European region of Macaronesia in a systematic way. A standard set of criteria was designed and applied to those species considered as naturalized and occupying natural and semi-natural habitats. This book is also intended to serve as a tool to raise awareness of the problem of IAS (invasive alien species). In fact, island ecosystems have been considered as more susceptible to IAS than continental systems, largely due to the small scale of the islands and to peculiarities of island biota which make them more susceptible to foreign competitors, predators and pathogens. However, islands, particularly European islands, are important hotspots for biodiversity, and the preservation of this natural heritage is currently also dependent on the implementation of effective measures to contain IAS.