Invasion Biology (EEB 5370: Spring 2010)
Invasion Biology (EEB 5370: Spring 2010)
This semester we will examine biological invasions and the effects of introduced species. We will read two books. The main one will be Mark Davis's Invasion Biology, which came out last year and which aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the field. Completion of Davis's book marked the 50th anniversary of Charles Elton's The Ecology of Invasions by Animals and Plants, which is the book that founded the field. Elton's book is short, cheap, very readable (and full of pictures) so I thought we'd start by reading that, then see how the field has progressed by reading Davis's book.
Schedule
| Week | Who | Topic | Reading | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25th Jan | Kevin | Introduction, defining terms | Elton Ch 1, Davis Ch 1 | |
| 1st Feb | Robert | Invasion on land | Elton Ch 2, 3 | |
| 8th Feb | Alex | Islands and oceans | Elton Ch 4, 5 | |
| 15th Feb | Lauren J. | Consequences of invasion | Elton Ch 6, 7 | |
| 22nd Feb | Annette | Reasons for conservation | Elton Ch 8, 9 | |
| 1st Mar | Lauren B. | Dispersal | Davis Ch 2 | Questions |
| 8th Mar | ---- | NO MEETING: SPRING BREAK | ---- | Connecticut Conference on Natural Resources |
| 15th Mar | Geoffrey | Establishment | Davis Ch 3 | Questions |
| 22nd Mar | Collin | Persistence and spread | Davis Ch 4 | Questions |
| 29th Mar | Jenica Allen | Evolution and predicting invasions | Davis Ch 5, 6 | Questions |
| 5th Apr | Wen | Impacts of invasion | Davis Ch 7 | |
| 12th Apr | Sarah | Management of invasives | Davis Ch 8 | Questions |
| 19th Apr | Andre | Invasion research in the future | Davis Ch 9, 10 | Questions Instructor evaluations |
| 26th Apr | Kellie Kuhn | Challenges and Conclusions | Davis Ch 11, 12 | Questions |
Discussion/News
10 Mar. J. Appl. Ecology. Using a native predator (the meat ant, Iridomyrmex reburrus) to reduce the abundance of an invasive species (the cane toad, Bufo marinus) in tropical Australia. An innovative approach to biocontrol.
10 Mar. BBC News. Insect that fights Japanese knotweed to be released. An example of planned biocontrol for an invasive plant.
5 Mar. Conservation Maven. Stopping aquatic hitchhikers: an interview with an innovator in conservation marketing. Relevant to our recent discussions about limiting dispersal in aquatic systems.
23 Feb. Hartford Advocate. Just eat it. Dining on invasive species.
