Invasion Ecology

As well as pollution, invasive species are damaging the lake ecosystems and food chains, made fragile by pollution and overfishing. The introduction of a new species throws off the balance of food chains. Some common invasive species include the sea lamprey, Asian carp, and zebra mussels, among many others. Zebra mussels have dramatically influenced and affected stable food chains by reducing the amount of zooplankton and phytoplankton. This presents a problem, as fish mostly feed on the drifters, and so they go hungry and die, leaving no food for larger fish to prey on. In addition to underwater disruption, it affects us as well, but only slightly. Plankton and algae especially are the most productive aquatic producers of oxygen, and by the decreasing population, we lose oxygen as well. The sea lamprey is also a problem, though it is not so influential to ecosystems as the zebra mussel.

Zebra mussels began originally from the Black and Caspian Seas. They can stick to any surface like pipes, boats, boat trailers and destroyed fishing equipment once they do, they’re permanent. Feral Hogs are wild hogs that came to Texas in 1930 by ranchers for hunting. Feral pigs have affected wildlife as well as plant communities and livestock. Africanized bees moved north from Mexico into Texas and Arizona in the late 1980s (Skorobagatov, 2012). Africanized bees are dangerous to humans, livestock, and wildlife, and they cause severe economic loss to the honey

spatula is commercially harvested in Louisiana, Texas, and Mexico (DiBenedetto 2009). This fish has had a long history with humans as Native Americans would make jewelry out of the scales and bones (Suttkus 1963). Many people do fish for them recreationally; bowfishing and hook and line fishing are becoming more common as they are seen as a trophy fish (Alfaro et al. 2008; DiBenedetto 2009). This fish is important to the local economies as the average yearly harvest of A. spatula in Louisiana is roughly 225,000 kg and brings over $500,000 into the economy (DiBenedetto 2009). It was once seen as a threat to sport fishes but now attitudes are changing (Brinkman 2008). The populations of A. spatula do not currently occur in its full historical range and only limited attempts are being made to encourage its spread back into its historical range (Buckmeier 2008 McDonald et al. 2013). The main factor that has been cited as the cause of the decline is the loss of floodplain connectivity that served as the spawning area (DiBenedetto 2009). The building of levees, dams, and other structures that disconnect the rivers from backwater areas and floodplains not only reduce the amount of flooding events but has also greatly hindered the ability of A. spatula to reproduce sufficiently (Brinkman 2008; DiBenedetto 2009). This native fish is not known to be used as bait, but, because of the major disturbance to the spawning habitat, is of concern to many management agencies (Buckmeier 2008; McDonald et al.

The spread and continued reproduction of the Northern Snakehead in the Potomac river has been and will continue to be a threat to the integrity of the local ecosystem. The Northern Snakehead is causing a disturbance in the local ecosystem. These fish need to either be removed from the ecosystem or their spread halted. Since their discovery in Crofton, Maryland, drastic measures have been taken in the past to rapidly eradicate this species regardless of lasting effects. Most of the previous solutions include dumping large quantities of poison, draining bodies of water, and encouraging fishing. In many cases this has caused bodies of water to be unuseable for extended periods of time. It is for these reasons we would like

In addition to inbreeding and demographic stochasticity, it has long been known that invasive species can cause drastic and often irreparable changes to native ecosystems, including the decline of indigenous species of both fauna and flora. In fact, invasive species have directly contributed to the decline of an estimated 42 percent of threatened and endangered species in the United States (Dilthey, 2017). Some of these invasive species are widely known, such as Dreissena polymorpha, the Zebra mussel, which has endangered at least 30 species of mussel, including Higgins Eye Pearlymussel (Magher, n.d.). Others are not so commonly known, like Penaeus monodon, the Black Tiger shrimp, which was first found in the Gulf of Mexico as recently as 2006 (Buchele, 2006).

The reading claims that the zebra mussel can be a critical threat to freshwater fish population in all of North America. However, the lecturer finds all the ideas dubious and presents some evidence to refute them all.

A steward is someone who manages someone else’s property, possessions, or financial affairs. We have the responsibility to be good stewards of God’s earth. All creation has a place and an order made by God, and we should keep it that way. This includes keeping invasive and exotic species from causing other species to go extinct. As a Christian, one of the easiest things I can do to help stop the spread of invasive species is pray. I can pray for the people that are figuring out ways to stop it. I can pray that others would help in the fight against invasive species. And I most definitely can pray that the invasive species would just stop spreading. As Christians, God told us to rule over every living creature. That means that it’s our job to

Invasive species are those that normally live and thrive in a particular community. Non-Native species lives outside of its native range which has arrived there by human activity.

Invasive species devastate the agricultural community. Specifically, for the state of Florida, citrus greening has been destructive in the growing, production, and harvesting of the citrus industry. On average, invasive species across our country costs the US $137 billion and Florida's agriculture industry alone $200 million annually. The importance of this issue is the invasive species, Asian citrus psyllid, has no cure and it's been found in every country in Florida that has citrus production. Once the invasive species injects the leaves with their toxin, you can't save the tree. This disease, which has been in Florida since 2005, has tremendously affected the high level

Signal crayfish has become widespread through Europe in the last century due to human activities. Signal crayfish poses a threat for the endemic noble crayfish in most of the European countries as a vector of the crayfish plague and competition. As an invasive species, signal crayfish can alter the energy flow of the ecosystem through the food webs since, as omnivorous, it can feed from several trophic level, modifying the ecosystem assemblage. On the other hand, the noble crayfish is endangered due to several factors like water pollution, ecosystem alteration and crayfish plague; consequently, their restauration may be not possible. Therefore, this review aims to compile the effects of the invasive signal crayfish in European freshwater

If there is some water supplies, closed zebra mussels can survive for longer. Veligers cannot survive drying; however, if there is a small water amount (like a puddle or pond), they can survive making some treatment methods like lowering the reservoir levels ineffective. Zebra mussels can survive as boats are transferred from lake to lake and even in bait buckets that fishermen and fisherwomen use. Researchers indicate that overland dispersal could have spread zebra mussels from one small inland lake to another which would explain why so many inner lakes are contaminated with zebra mussels. Ballast water from a Russian commercial cargo vessel was the main vector for spreading the zebra mussels into U.S. waterways and regulations have been put into place regarding discharging ballast in waterways. Education has spread the preventative methods for stopping the spread of zebra mussels and the legal implications of not following rules are steep.

One recent example of problems with invasive species occurred between April and October of 1993 when there were torrential rains and flooding in the mid-western region of the United Sates. The flood contributed to the spread of the zebra mussel from the Great Lakes into the lower areas of the Mississippi River system. This ecological pest, a native to Europe, was accidentally introduced into the Great Lakes in the 1980s by ships moving goods between Europe and the United States. The zebra mussel is an

In the 1970’s man introduced the Asian Carp (Cyprinus carpio) to the Great Lake region. Their introduction was done primarily as a form of management of aqua culture farms and sewage treatment areas (Watershed Council). The fish were under controlled populations until record floods occurred in the upper Mississippi River system. Once the flooding occurred the species began to spread and destroy the native populations of fish and other aquatic animals.

In the eye of the beholder: Do biological invasions impact ecosystems on a functional level?

Currently, eDNA has some weaknesses in the detection of target species, either endangered or invasive. These weaknesses are predominantly the appearance of false positives likewise false negatives which alter the prevalence of target organism in a certain area (Roussel et al, 2015).