What if an invasive species also introduces itself naturally? (Thought experiment)

[swampster]

@Italopithecus @squidtk

There is no standardized definition/usage of the term “invasive”. You can read more about it in this thread: “Native/non-native” related to “invasive” plant species.

In particular:

@cthawley

Scientists have been arguing about what the term “invasive” means for >25 years, and I don’t think that any consensus is coming soon. When I review/edit papers in Invasion Biology (my field), I just make sure that the authors define how they are using “invasive” or any related terms in their paper so that ambiguity is minimized.

In general, I think that the most common use of invasive is for a species that is not native to a region. I do see “invasive” occasionally used for native organisms that often take over disturbed habitats. I understand the motivation behind describing these as “invasive” based on how they function, but I don’t use that term to describe them because it leads to confusion. I think that there are often better, more specific terms to use anyways - disturbance specialist, colonizer, monoculture, etc.

Ultimately, the goal of using words to to communicate ideas. So I would suggest not getting too hung up on specific terminology and focusing on communicating meaning clearly. That may vary depending on the audience, but defining how we are using a term that has multiple current uses is generaly good practice.