envahirais

Envahirais is a fictional ecological concept used in speculative ecology to describe rapid, network-facilitated invasions of non-native species across interconnected landscapes. The term is etymologically derived from the French envahir ("to invade") with the suffix -ais, chosen for its connotations of movement and diffusion.

Concept and scope: Envahirais emphasizes how transport networks—shipping routes, highways, rail lines, and migratory corridors—enable multiple invasive species to establish across many habitats in a compressed time frame. The model posits that invasions in different nodes are not independent but linked via shared vectors and feedback mechanisms, creating cascading effects on native communities and ecosystem processes.

Key features include: (1) high network centrality nodes acting as hubs; (2) parallel introductions across multiple nodes; (3) rapid community turnover and possible regime shifts; (4) dependence on propagule pressure and habitat connectivity.

Applications and limitations: In theoretical models, envahirais helps explore how network structure influences invasion speed and resilience. It remains a topic of debate, with critics arguing that it can oversimplify local factors such as biotic resistance, climate suitability, and management interventions. Empirical validation requires multi-node studies that integrate movement data with ecological outcomes.

See also: Invasion biology, ecological networks, metapopulation theory, invasion waves.