1 Electronic Supplementary Material for Chapter 12 Fire, Pollution and Grazing, Oh My! A Game in which Native and Invasive Plants Compete under Multiple Disturbance Regimes This chapter is published as: Schneider HE, Sweet LC Fire, Pollution and Grazing, Oh My! A Game in which Native and Invasive Plants Compete under Multiple Disturbance Regimes. In: Byrne L (ed) Learner-Centered Teaching Activities for Environmental and Sustainability Studies. Springer, New York. DOI / _12 Heather E. Schneider 1 and Lynn C. Sweet 2 1 Department of Ecology, Evolution, & Marine Biology, University of California-Santa Barbara, CA USA 2 Center for Conservation Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA USA This file contains the following supplementary material:  D: Presentation slides This chapter also has the following supplementary material, available on the chapter’s website: A: Additional references B: Instructions for the game activity C: Case study background and vocabulary worksheet E: Activity cards

Fire, pollution and grazing, oh my! A game where natives and invasives compete for domination under multiple disturbance regimes A brief introduction to native, exotic and invasive species From Learner-Centered Activities For Environmental and Sustainability Studies: Lynn Sweet, PhD & Heather Schneider, PhD Photo: Heather Schneider 2

Outline Ecological definitions – Using the vocabulary handout that was filled out for homework, share the definitions of the ecological terms as we move through the presentation Native, exotic and invasive species – Slides and video Ecosystem disturbances and anthropogenic impacts Game – natives vs. invasives Illustration: Alejandra Martinez-Berdeja 3

Ecological Definitions: Levels of Organization Population – A group of organisms belonging to the same species in the same location that can exchange genetic material with one another for the purposes of reproduction Community – A group of organisms belonging to multiple species (plants, animals, fungi, etc.) that occupy the same location 4

Ecological Definitions: Levels of Organization Ecosystem – A community of organisms interacting with each other and their abiotic environment as a system Ecosystem services – The processes that promote healthy environments and benefit humans and other organisms – For example: nutrient cycling (supporting service), fresh water (provisioning service), pollination (regulating service), and recreation (cultural service) (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment) 5

Ecological Definitions: Interactions Competition – An interaction between individuals in close proximity and are vying for the same resources resulting in a negative outcome for at least one of the individuals This can also be used at a larger scale (i.e. invasive species tend to out-compete natives) Facilitation – An interaction between individuals that results in a positive outcome for one or both of them Neutralism – Plants can also have neutral interactions 6

Native Species… have been historically present in a specific area and are adapted to the local environment are connected to the community through biotic and abiotic interactions (food, shelter, nutrient cycling) provide valuable ecosystem services 7

Exotic species… are species that are not native to their current location, but are native elsewhere and arrived as a result of human activity. are not necessarily well-suited to the native ecosystem, may not provide food or habitat for other species and may not interact in the same way as native plants in the ecosystem. are sometimes used by native species for food and habitat, but these may be of lower quality than native resources. may be relatively benign to the new environment. 8

Invasive species: Invasives can be either native or exotic species that establish a reproductive population and spread to the detriment of the native community. Although some native species can be invasive, many of the worst invasives are exotic. These plants are often problematic because they may not provide habitat for other species and interact differently with the local ecosystem than local species. They may out-compete native species and produce mono-cultures that reduce local biodiversity. Ecosystem services may be disrupted by the invasion of exotic plant species. 9

The Steps of Exotic Species Invasion Native elsewhere Arrive and establish in new location Establish in new areas Survival in transport Lag periodSpread Ecological & human impact Sakai AK et al The population biology of invasive species. Annual Review of Ecological Systematics 32:

What are invasive plants and why should we care? =PL5BRja99NkXlF5CU0TILV1IKzidCTs2Uh&index=24 Kudzu (Japanese arrowroot) Photo: Katie Ashdown; Fickr Photo: Natalie Maynor; Fickr Photo licenses: “Weeds of Mass Destruction” Video: 11

Ecosystems: Natural Disturbances Naturally occurring events that can disrupt the structure and function of an ecosystem: – Flooding – Fire – Browsing – Trampling Natural disturbances may be common or infrequent, but in general, the ecosystem is adapted to these events and some species may require these events to survive and reproduce. 12

Ecosystems: Anthropogenic Impacts Impacts that are caused by humans or become more frequent due to human activity, such as: – Air pollution – Increase in wildfire frequency – Urban development – Grazing animals (e.g. cows, sheep) – Deforestation/habitat clearing 13

Life in Balance: The Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis Local species diversity is maximized when ecological disturbance is neither too rare nor too frequent. (Connell, 1978) Can you fill in the graph on the next slide, based on the intermediate disturbance hypothesis? How do you think anthropogenic impacts affect the frequency and intensity of disturbance? Illustration: Alejandra Martinez-Berdeja Connell, JH Diversity in tropical rain forests and coral reefs. Science 199:

Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis High Low Species diversity Frequent/high intensity Infrequent/ low intensity Disturbance Describe what this point on the graph shows. What’s happening here? Why would this happen? 15

Many invasive species are adapted to living with frequent disturbances. Invasive plants may benefit from some natural disturbances and anthropogenic impacts more than natives: – Nitrogen deposition (pollution, increases soil fertility) – Wildfire – Grazing & browsing (herbivores) Ecosystems: Invasion & Ecosystem Changes 16

Ecosystems: Effects of Invasion Invasive plants may cause changes to ecosystems and communities by: – Increasing wildfire frequency – Affecting erosion and soil movement Increasing erosion if root structure is not as strong as natives Stabilizing sand dunes that would otherwise be mobile if roots are strong and vegetation is persistent – Potentially increase browsing pressure on natives by attracting different herbivores 17

Winners and Losers Post-disturbance, species survive and reproduce differently depending on their particular adaptations. Population size may increase or decrease following ecosystem change. – For example, a native species may require spring flooding for seed dispersal. – An invasive species may also use the flooding event to spread. – A different native species may not tolerate flooding, due to overly saturated soil, and may become less common in an area that sees an increase in flooding frequency or intensity. 18

Activity: Natives Battle Invasives! We will investigate the dynamic responses of native and invasive populations to disturbances and anthropogenic impacts within a plant community. For the activity, we will define plant species responses in two simple ways: – Responding positively to a disturbance: + – Responding negatively to a disturbance: We will also use the concept of fertility (number of offspring produced). + signs indicate how many more plants are produced during each cycle of the game. 19

Natives Battle Invasives Each student will receive a their species identity card and line up to be part of the ecosystem, invasives in one line, natives in another. The instructor will call out a disturbance or event. Check out your plant’s response to the disturbance or event: – If you have a -, sit down. If you have a +, remain standing. 20

Natives Battle Invasives! Native Plants: Purple needlegrass California poppy Elegant clarkia Valley oak Invasive Plants: Black mustard Ripgut brome Fennel Redstem filaree Illustration: Alejandra Martinez-Berdeja 21

Natives Battle Invasives! Events: – Nitrogen deposition – Fire – Habitat clearing – Two-year drought – Managed grazing – Reproduce! – Competition Questions! 22

EXAMPLE SPECIES CARD Native Plant: CALIFORNIA POPPY (Eschscholzia californica) Nitrogen deposition + Fire + Managed grazing + Two-year drought + Habitat clearing - Reproduce! ++ Heather Schneider 23

Data Collection: Species Composition Optional Scorecard T0T Natives Invasives REGIME 1: Natural Ecosystem/Intermediate Disturbance T0T Natives Invasives REGIME 2: Anthropogenic Effects and Increased Disturbance T 0 = initial numbers Record the number of native individuals and invasive individuals still standing at the end of each round OR use the editable charts on slides

Data Collection: Species Composition Optional Scorecard T0T Natives Invasives Optional Additional Round 3 T0T Natives Invasives Optional Additional Round 4 T 0 = initial numbers Record the number of native individuals and invasive individuals still standing at the end of each round OR use the editable charts on slides

Data Collection: Species Composition Optional CHART REGIME 1: Natural Ecosystem/Intermediate Disturbance REGIME 2: Anthropogenic Effects and Increased Disturbance T 0 = initial number Record the number of native individuals and invasive individuals still standing at the end of each round. TO FILL IN THE CHART: Right-click (Mac ctrl-click) on the plot area and choose “edit data” 26

Optional Additional Round 3 Optional Additional Round 4 T 0 = initial number Data Collection: Species Composition Optional CHART Record the number of native individuals and invasive individuals still standing at the end of each round. TO FILL IN THE CHART: Right-click (Mac ctrl-click) on the plot area and choose “edit data” 27

Questions for Discussion Describe the changes in the populations of native and invasive plants over the course of the game. Which disturbance seemed to benefit the invasive species the most? Did any disturbance benefit native plants more than invasive plants? What are the main differences between the biology and ecology of the invasives versus the natives? Can we make any generalizations about whether disturbances are “good” or “bad” for native communities? … Is this always the case? Do you think that ecosystem services might be changed with disturbance? 28