Invasive Species Curriculum

Introduction

Invasive species have been introduced into an area that is not part of their natural range, and they cause harm to the economy, the environment or human health. We should all be concerned about invasive species and the harm they cause. First, we want to avoid harmful consequences from introductions. Second, our actions or activities can spread invasive species, so we are responsible for managing both introductions and consequences. Managing invasive species is not simply a matter of banning all introductions, because all of us benefit from some introductions. In addition, many introductions are accidental or unintentional making bans difficult to enforce.

People began introducing species when they began traveling. For example, Europeans transported Old World species to their new settlements in the Western Hemisphere and elsewhere. The cargo manifests from Columbus' second and subsequent voyages indicate deliberate transport of species regarded as potential crops and livestock. Humans continue to disperse species today, and the worldwide increase in plant, animal, and microbial introductions roughly tracks the increase in human transport and commerce. In particular, the meteoric growth of global commerce in the past 200 to 500 years has produced numerous opportunities for biotic invasions.

Introduced species often do not survive and reproduce. Therefore, they seldom establish themselves and become invasive. Introducing species without management can be viewed as a game of chance. We 'take a chance' by moving species beyond their natural ranges and introducing them into newranges. We risk having the introduced species become established, spread and cause harm. As in any game of chance, the outcome of a given round is uncertain. We may introduce numerous species orone species numerous times and suffer on significant consequences, or we may introduce a singlespecies once and generate considerable harm.

Management of invasive species occurs at the international, national and state levels. Management plans at all levels typically recognize prevention or control of introductions as the key to success. Once a species establishes and spreads, eradication or control become costly and often difficult or impossible. Surveillance for non-native species and rapid removal before they establish and spread is the second best defense. Management plans also recognize the need for research, education and outreach. Gathering and disseminating better information can help us manage invasive species. For example, informed decision-makers should make better choices about large-scale, intentional introductions, and an informed public can modify its behavior to prevent small-scale intentional or accidental introductions.

Vocabulary Master List

Anatomy - The study of the parts of an organism in order to ascertain their position, relationship, structure and function.
Aquatic - Living or growing in, on, or near water.
Ballast - Water or other heavy material placed in the hold of a ship for stability.
Biodiversity - The variety of plant and animal species present in an ecosystem.
Camouflage - Colors and patterns that help an object blend in with its surroundings.
Compete - The process of two or more organisms demanding limited environmental resources, such as nutrients, living space or light.
Compressiform - Body flat from side to side and tall and thin when viewed from the front.
Depressiform - Body flattened from top to bottom and wide and thin when viewed from the front.
Dichotomous - Divided or dividing into two parts or classifications.
Dichotomous key - A series of questions that leads to the identification of a species.
Disperser - An organism that spreads or distributes fruits and/or seeds from a stationary parent plant.
Emarginate - Having a notched margin.
Eradicate - Eliminate, exterminate, remove.
Filiform - Long, skinny, tube-shaped body.
Forked - Having two or more branches or points.
Fusiform - Streamlined oval-shaped body.
Invader/Invasive species - A plant or animal that is not native and causes harm, including disrupting natural ecosystems.
Invasion rate - How quickly invasive species are being established in a geographic region. A rate is a change in something over time.
Lunate - Shaped like a crescent or quarter-moon.
Morphology - The study of organisms' structure or form.
Native species - A plant or animal that originated in a certain place. A species occurring in its natural range. Species that were present in Florida at the time the first Spanish settlers arrived.
Niche - The unique role of an organism in its ecosystem.
Nitrogen - A nutrient required in large amounts as an essential component of proteins, nucleic acids and other cellular constituents.
Nitrogen fixation - Organisms cannot use nitrogen gas (N2), but the gas can be "fixed" or converted into ammonia by bacteria.
Non-native species - A species introduced to a region intentionally or accidentally.
Pathway - The means by which a species is moved from place to place and introduced.
Perennial - A plant that is lasting or active through the year or many years.
Plankton - Small, aquatic plants or animals that cannot swim strongly, so they drift with currents.
Point transect - A series of points surveyed along a tape measure anchored at a random point and stretched to a predetermined length.
Predator - An organism that feeds on another organism.
Quadrats - Survey grids of a fixed size and shape.
Rounded - Curved or shaped like part of a circle.
Species - A basic taxonomic group that subdivides a genus; it comprises individuals of common ancestry that strongly resemble each other physiologically and interbreed to produce fertile offspring.
Taxonomy - The science of classifying organisms into groups or taxa.
Truncate - Short and square or slightly rounded.