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Agenda • 3.3 Notes • BBC Video on pythons • Video on Sea Lamprey • Work on review package 3.3 • Work on review package 3.13.2 • Work on Practice Problems How Introduced Species affect Ecosystems 3.3 Native Species • Organisms that naturally inhabitant a given area • For example: “Cattails” at Lily Lake in Merrit Introduced Species • Non-native organisms that enter a new ecosystem • Can be distributed by people, intentionally or by accident. Introduced Species • These species are typically harmless, or sometimes beneficial. • i.e. loosestrife-eating beetle Invasive Species • Harmful introduced species • Can take over the habitat of native species Ex. Purple Loosestrife Invasive Species • Why are they so harmful? – Have no predators – Could aggressively compete (negatively affect native species, and often reduces biodiversity as a result.) – Reproduce quickly Invasive Species • Invasive species can weaken ecosystems –Make them more susceptible to disease and parasitism by micro-organisms • Some invasive species can change, both physically and chemically, the make up of an ecosystem = Habitat alteration! Cattails: | Native Species Purple Loosestrife: Invasive Species Loosestrife eating beetle: Introduced Species The Impact of Introduced Species • Competition: one species takes away resources from another. 50 breeding pairs of the European Starling were brought to BC in the late 1800’s. It now out-competes western bluebirds for nesting habitat. The American Bullfrog was brought to BC in the 1930’s by restaurants for their legs. It has since taken over the habitats of native frogs. • Predation: if the invasive species is a predator, it may have a huge advantage, as the native species may have no methods to survive. The Norway rat escaped from early European explorer and fur-trading ships. On Queen Charlotte Islands, they have caused a decline in ground-nesting sea birds, such as • . ancient murrelets and puffins, by eating their eggs and young. • West Nile virus was recently introduced to the United States in 1999, when it started causing deaths in birds and illness in humans in New York City. It is a vector borne disease, carried by the mosquito. • Disease & Parasitism: by weakening certain species, a micro-organism invading an ecosystem can drastically alter the entire ecosystem and the niches within it. • Habitat Alteration: some invasive species can change the physical structure of the ecosystem by digging, burrowing, blocking sunlight or changing the chemistry of the ecosystem. Eurasian Milfoil was first identified in Okanagan Lake in 1970. It forms wide, dense mats at lake surfaces, cutting off sunlight to organisms below and interfering with recreational activities. It can grow from plant fragments, which are often spread by boats. Saving an Ecosystem Under Siege • It often takes human intervention to save established ecosystems. – The Garry Oak Ecosystem Recovery Team (GOERT) is trying to save several areas of the Garry Oak ecosystem in BC because Garry Oak trees are a keystone species and they may be better suited to survive in the future than Douglas fir forests. – Scotch broom, English ivy and other plant species are its biggest threats. • Invasive Species – Animated Film • Invasive Species - Bullfrogs