The effect of an invasive species

The effect of an invasive species

When we learned about ecology we came to terms with a term that many of us had heard of “Invasive species” this term meant little more to us than something that was not originally found where it is found today. It grew slowly to mean a species that has taken over some niche that another or many other species used to occupy.

 

 This year we had to take on the full effect of what an invasive species can do to a community or even an ecosystem. We drew a food web of an ecosystem containing all native populations. Then we added Purple Loosestrife and slowly we crossed out all but one or two species. Even then the species would have been so down sized form their former populace that it would have seemed as if the ecosystem was an entirely different place. Everything died or left. Nothing could truly stay.  Now we can all agree that this is horrible. But when we introduce an invasive species we have no way of knowing what the effect of that species would be on the environment. Well now we can.

 

Break through studies at Queen’s university have sparked interest among all kinds of scientists. By looking at large-mouth bass one of the most invasive species ever. They watched as the tadpole population which the bass feed on almost immediately spiraled in to non-existence. They knew before conducting this experiment that large-mouth bass require much larger amounts of resources in comparison with a local species. Looking at this they predicted that the large-mouth would decimate the populations of tadpoles. While this may seem just like common sense at first take a second and realize that there are many factors that come into play and even more species and outcomes. This study has proven that by looking at the behavior of invasive species and seeing them in their native environments can tell us what kind of impact they will have on ecosystems.

 

Link
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140227092044.htm

 

NOS

·         Science is collaborative ( Not just Professors and scientists from Queens but they also worked with several south African institutions)

·         Science is based on speculation and Observation (The connection between behavior and impact is hard to see even when isolated.)

·         Role of skepticism (The lead professor Jamie Dick said himself that this theory may not hold true for all species but so far as they test other species it looks like it might help scientists to make a prediction in the future.)

 

Questions:

Can an invasive species just be introduced and not really effect the ecosystem?

If we know the impacts of an invasive species can we use this to combat the ecosystems already being taken over by them?