FISH 423
Aquatic Invasion Ecology
Instructor: Dr. Julian D. Olden
Office Location: Fisheries Science Blg., Room 317A
Office hours: 11:30 - 1:30 Monday
Office phone: 616-3112
E-mail address:
olden@u.washington.edu
Instructor web page:
http://www.fish.washington.edu/olden/
Course web page: http://www.fish.washington.edu/classes/fish423
Class hours: Lecture: 10:30 - 11:20 Monday and
Wednesday, Discussion: Monday 11:30-12:20
Class room: Lecture and Discussion meets in
Room 108
Prerequisite(s): Either BIOL 162 or
BIOL 180
DISCUSSION PAPERS (click here)
COURSE IMPETUS
Humans
have a noteworthy ability for introducing species to areas beyond their native
range, giving the potential for these species to become biological
invaders. The global epidemic of
invasive species is rampant, representing a leading threat to national
economies, human health, and cause tremendous ecological damage ranging from
the extinction of native species to alteration of ecosystem processes. The negative impacts of invasive species are
particularly evident in aquatic environments, including the
COURSE OBJECTIVES
The objective of this course is to
provide an understanding of the patterns, drivers and consequences of species
invasions in freshwater, estuary and marine ecosystems.
We will accomplish this through a combination of lectures that will
examine various elements of the invasion process, followed by the discussion of
case studies.
·
The
first part of the course will provide an overview of the problem, focusing on
global pathways and patterns of aquatic invaders in freshwater and marine
ecosystems.
·
The
second part of the course will explore the entire invasion process, from
initial introduction to a foreign area, to the establishment of a
self-sustaining population and integration into native communities. These lectures will focus on the underlying
theory and empirical evidence for each invasion stage illustrated through a
number of case studies.
·
The
third part of the course will focus on the management approaches needed to
prevent, control and eradicate invasive species, including current state and
federal legislation for invasive species.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
As a
result of this course, students will have a strong understanding of the
patterns, processes and consequences of species invasions in aquatic
ecosystems.
METHOD OF INSTRUCTION AND GRADING
Lectures: This course will consist of two
50-minute lectures per week. Lectures
will emphasize main concepts from invasion ecology, illustrated with examples
from freshwater and marine ecosystems.
Exams:
There will be two exams - a mid-term (15% of final grade) and a final
(30%). They will cover the assigned
reading and material covered in lecture.
The 50-minute midterm exam and 2-hour final exam will consist of short
essays.
Discussion Group: Each week we will discuss 2 or 3
scientific articles in a small group.
The discussion period will be led by a student (that’s you!) who will be
responsible for leading the discussion and promoting conversation. You will be
evaluated on your leadership and participation during all discussions (10% of
final grade). Articles (PDF) will be posted on the web
(http://fish.washington.edu/classes/FISH423/) one week prior to the meeting
date.
Short Assignments: You will be required to provide a
1-page summary and critical critique of a scientific article for each of the 8
discussion periods (10% of final grade). These will be due on the day of the
discussion period (Monday) and assigned the previously week.
Final Assignment: A significant portion of your
grade is based on a final written report (25% of final grade) and oral
presentation (10% of final grade). In
order to successfully complete the final assignment you will need to understand
the material presented in lecture and discussion group. Detailed instructions for the final
assignment are provided below.
FINAL ASSIGNMENT
Your
final written report will consist of a review paper exploring the ecology of an
invasive species in the
Your report must be 15-25
double-spaced pages (with figures embedded) and consist of the following
sections:
1.
Diagnostic
information
a.
Scientific
name (Order/Family/Genus/Species)
b.
Common
name(s)
c.
Photos/Detailed
illustrations
d.
Basic
identification key
2.
Life-history
and basic ecology
a.
Life
cycle
b.
Feeding
habits
c.
Reproductive
strategies
d.
Environmental
optima and tolerances
e.
Biotic
associations (pathogens, parasites, and commensals)
3.
Current
geographic distribution
a.
Point
occurrences or distribution in the PNW (map)
b.
4.
History
of invasiveness
5.
Invasion
process
a.
Pathways,
vectors and routes of introduction
b.
Factors
influencing establishment and spread
c.
Potential
ecological and/or economic impacts
6.
Management
strategies and control methods
7.
Literature
cited (follow the style of the journal Biological
Invasions) (no URL references!)
8.
Other
key sources of information and bibliographies (web sites)
9.
Expert
contact information in PNW
10.
Current
research and management efforts
Your oral
presentation will consist of a 12-minute overview of your invasive species.
Provide a concise Powerpoint presentation on the life-history, distribution,
invasion dynamics and current management strategies. Presentations are limited
to 12 minutes (sharp) and will be followed by 3 minutes of questions.
Species NOT eligible for final
paper
Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis
Ciona savignyi
Ictalurus punctatus
Lepomis gibbosus
Myriophyllum aquaticum
Oithona davisae
Procambarus clarkii
Sargassum muticum
Rana catesbeiana
Utricularia inflate
TEXTBOOK(S) AND REQUIRED TOOLS OR
SUPPLIES
Lockwood,
J. L., Hoopes, M. F., and M. P. Marchetti. 2007. Invasion Ecology. Blackwell Publishing.
We will
also read selected articles from journals, books, and other published literature. These will be available as PDFs through the
course’s website.
SCHEDULE
Week 1
W 24 Sept An introduction to aquatic invasion ecology
(Ch. 1)
Week 2
M 29 Sept Conceptual models and ecological theory of
the invasion process (Ch. 1)
M 29 Sept Discussion
Padilla and Williams (2004). Beyond ballast water:
aquarium and ornamental trades as sources of invasive species in aquatic
ecosystems. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 2, 131-138.
Wonham et al. (2000). Fish and ships: relating
dispersal frequency to success in biological invasions. Marine Biology, 136,
1111-1121.
W 1 Oct Vectors and pathways of
species introductions (Ch. 2)
Week 3
M 6 Oct Vectors and pathways of species
introductions (Ch. 3)
M 6 Oct Discussion
Chapman et al. (2003). Live seafood species as
recipes for invasion. Conservation Biology, 17, 1386-1395.
García-Berthou et al. (2005). Introduction pathways
and establishment rates of invasive aquatic species in
W 8 Oct Propagule pressure (Ch. 4)
Week 4
M 13 Oct Species establishment: Species’ profiling
M 13 Oct Discussion
Duggan et al. (2006). Popularity and propagule
pressure: determinants of introduction and establishment of aquarium fish.
Biological Invasions, 8, 377-382.
Korsu et al. (2007). Niche characteristics explain
the reciprocal invasion success of stream salmonids in different continents.
Proceedings of the National
W 15 Oct Species establishment: Environmental
controls (Ch. 5)
Week 5
M 20 Oct Species establishment: Biological controls
(Ch. 6)
M 20 Oct Discussion
Griffen et al. (2008). Inhibition between
invasives: a newly introduced predator moderates the impacts of a previously
established invasive predator. Journal of Animal Ecology, 77, 32-40.
Ricciardi (2001) Facilitative interactions among
aquatic invaders: is an “invasional meltdown” occurring in the
W 22 Oct Species spread: Theory, models and
empirical evidence (Ch. 7, 8)
Week 6
M 27 Oct Guest lecture: Sean McDonald, SAFS (Spread
and impact of green crab in the
M 27 Oct Discussion Section: MID-TERM EXAM
W 29 Oct Ecological impacts of invasive species: Part
1 (Ch. 9)
Week 7
M 3 Nov Ecological impacts of invasive species:
Part 2 (
M 3 Nov Discussion
Gozlan (2008). Introduction of non native
freshwater fish: is it all bad? Fish and Fisheries, 9, 106-115.
Schneider et al. (1998) A transportation model
assessment to the risk to native mussel communities from zebra mussel spread.
Conservation Biology, 12, 788-800.
W 5 Nov Guest lecture: Tom Quinn, SAFS
(Evolutionary impacts of introduced salmonids in
Week 8
M 10 Nov Evolutionary impacts of invasive species
M 10 Nov Discussion
Schlaepfer et al. (2005). Introduced species as evolutionary traps.
Ecology Letters, 8, 241-246.
Strayer et al. (2006). Understanding the long-term
effects of species invasions. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 21, 645-651.
W 12 Nov Economic impacts of invasive species
Week 9
M 17 Nov Risk analysis (
M 17 Nov Discussion
Keller et al. (2008). Prevention guided by
ecological predictions produces environmental and economic benefits for lakes
at risk from biological invasion. Conservation Biology, 22, 80-88.
Vander Zanden and Olden (2008). A management
framework for preventing the secondary spread of aquatic invasive species.
Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 65, 1512-1522.
W 19 Nov Preventative approaches to species
invasions (
Week 10
M 24 Nov Invasion species control and eradication (
M 24 Nov Discussion
Fowler et al. 2007. Failure of the Lacey Act to protect US ecosystems
against animal invasions. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 5, 353-359.
Vredenburg (2004). Reversing introduced species
effects: Experimental removal of introduced fish leads to rapid recovery of a
declining frog. Proceedings of the National
W 26 Nov Guest lecture: Russ Herwig, SAFS
(Management options for ship ballast water)
Week 11
M 1 Dec Looking to the future: Species invasions, habitat alteration
and climate change
M 1 Dec Discussion Section: Presentations
W 3 Dec Presentations
W 10 Dec Final Exam: 2:30-4:20pm
*
Chapters in Lockwood et al. (2007) are indicated.