Download Bioassessment of Water Quality

Invasive Species
Cause for Concern
•
Economic Costs
– $120B per year (USFWS)
– Control practices
– Maintaining water supplies
•
Biodiversity Loss
More than 400 of the over 1,300
species currently protected under
the Endangered Species Act, and
more than 180 candidate species for
listing are considered to be at risk
at least partly due to displacement
by, competition with, and predation
by invasive species
USFWS
Zebra mussels
Kudzu
Biology of an Invasion
•
•
•
Source of the material
Terminology: invasive vs. alien
Conditions that lead to the
invasion
Characteristics of an Invasive Population
•
They tolerate a variety of habitat conditions
•
They grow and reproduce rapidly
•
They compete aggressively for resources (like food, water, and nesting sites)
•
They lack natural enemies or pests in the new ecosystem
USFS
Asian Carp
Strategies for Control
•
Plants
– Physical
– Chemical
– Biological
Spotted knapweed
•
Animals
– Hunting/Collection
– Poisons
– Ecological
Cane toad
Restoration Ecology
Restoration projects produce many important ecological and
social benefits
Resources for Review
• Textbook: pages 333 – 334
• InvasiveSpecies.gov
– http://www.invasivespecies.gov/
• Invasive.org
– http://www.invasive.org/
Nine-banded armadillo