introduction | Ecology for the Masses

Tag Archives: introduction

Water-Based Recreation Can Promote Non-Native Introductions

Posted on January 9, 2020 by Sam Perrin 2 comments

Image Credit: Manfred Antranias Zimmer, Pixabay licence, Image Cropped

Invasion of freshwater ecosystems is promoted by network connectivity to hotspots of human activity (2019) Chapman et al., Global Ecology and Biogeography, https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.13051

The Crux

The spread of invasive species throughout freshwater ecosystems is a topic we’ve looked at before on Ecology for the Masses. In a previous paper breakdown we talked about how recreational is heavily responsible for the presence of non-native fish at a European scale.

Our paper this week takes a more local approach. Can we predict the presence of non-native birds, invertebrates and fish by looking at the presence of human activity, and where that human activity is present?

Paper of the Week

The Asian Ladybeetle

Posted on September 10, 2018 by Sam Perrin Leave a comment

The Asian Ladybeetle, which has now established itself in Norway and will likely be a permanent fixture in our ecosystem (Image Credit: Scott Bauer, US Department of Agriculture, Public Domain)

Reasons for deliberately introducing novel species vary, from their aesthetic appeal to a boost they may provide the economy with. Using them for biological control is another, and it has led to some of the world’s most infamous biological invasions. Today we look at the Asian Ladybeetle, which Norwegian farmers were keen on importing into the country to use to control pest species that were damaging local crops.

Invasive Species

Our Responsibility Regarding Invasive Species (A Counterpoint to Mark Davis)

Posted on August 27, 2018 by Sam Perrin Leave a comment

The Eastern Oyster, a species which has a high potential to spread throughout Norwegian waters, but little known ecological effect (Image Credit: James St. John, CC BY 2.0, Image Cropped)

Last week I posted an interview with Mark Davis, an invasion ecologist who has urged caution when rushing to eliminate invasive species from an ecosystem. Whilst I didn’t agree with absolutely everything Mark said, he makes some very important points about the language around invasive species and our understanding of them.

Invasive Species

The American Mink

Posted on August 20, 2018 by Sam Perrin Leave a comment

The American Mink is pretty much a Norwegian mainstay these days. So what sort of impact have they had? (Image Credit: Ryzhkov Sergey, CC BY-SA 4.0, Image Cropped)

Fur farming isn’t a topic we’ve had much cause to touch on so far in this series. But today, we look at a species that was introduced specifically for that purpose, whose presence in Europe is disliked by ecologists and animal rights activists alike.

Invasive Species

Lessons From a Long History of Fish Invasions

Posted on June 12, 2018 by Sam Perrin One comment

The European Perch, brought for angling by earlier settlers, has had severe effects on a number of native Australian fish (Image Credit: Karelj)

Transport pathways shape the biogeography of alien freshwater fishes in Australia (2018) Garcia-Diaz et al., Biodiversity Research, DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12777

The Crux

Invasive species are a problem in every type of ecosystem, be it by reduction of local diversity, or negative effects on a region’s economy or human health. Freshwater rivers and lakes are no exceptions to this. Invasive fish have impacts on local habitats which include outcompeting or just flat out eating local species, changing a habitat’s entire structure (say by clearing away aquatic vegetation or increasing pH levels) and the reorganisation of the entire population of a lake or river, from the birds that nest on the shoreline to the tiny planktonic species that are the base food source of the entire ecosystem. Once an invasive species is established, it can be impossible to remove.

So naturally, understanding where and how invasive species are likely to strike is of huge benefit. This paper tries to map that out, using Australia as a case study. It’s a great example; Australia has a long history with invasive species, and this study alone looks at 33 different types of invasive fish.