1. Invasive Species Project

2. An "invasive species" is defined as a species that is 1) non-native (or alien) to the ecosystem under consideration and 2) whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health. An "invasive species" is defined as a species that is 1) non-native (or alien) to the ecosystem under consideration and 2) whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health. What are invasive species?

3. When you think of an "alien" species, you may think of some hideous, outer space villain ready to suck your eyes from your ears, like the creature below...

4. Invading in an area with no natural predators Having a high reproduction rate Being able to travel long distances quickly, if needed To be able to beat the native creatures at their own game To be adaptive and have a broad range of diet Help from us..oops. (Yes, sometimes us humans act before we think)....but lets be realistic. A creature that is "alien" is one that is new to an ecosystem and may or may not be invasive. That depends on some factors

5. You know what? The alien, or invasive specie does not have to be ugly at all. Sometime cute, fuzzy creatures that have become invasive in an ecosystem can be VERY UGLY when the dynamics of the ecosystem are considered. Check out this fuzzy little guy. This little mammal is the Nutria, Myocastor coypus. It is found in and around fresh and salt water ponds and swamps. Nutrias were initially introduced into North America and farmed for their fur. Since their introduction, some animals have escaped these farms and established localized breeding populations from Texas to Virginia and in the Great Lakes area. Presently, they are considered to be a pest species in some areas, disrupting irrigation systems and destroying native aquatic vegetation and crops. Additionally, by disturbing the balance of the native biota they provide an advantage for non-native plant species to become established.

6. But if were are talking UUUGGGLLLY, lets take a look at what many have called, the Frakenfish The Northern Snakehead, seen the picture, is an invasive specie that has been introduced from Asia as either a pet (gone bad) or as a popular food dish (that escaped). Channa argus or "northern snakehead fish," a freshwater-dwelling meat-eater native to southeast Asia and found unexpectedly proliferating in a Maryland pond in 2002. The unsightly creature, dubbed "Frankenfish" by the media, walks on dry land and can reputedly survive out of water for as long as three days. To learn more about this invasive creature, please click the link below. Snakefish PresentationSnakefish Presentation* The Northern Snakehead, Channa arhgus

7. Invasive Species Project You will be researhing your own invasive "alien" specie as a project. You will present your findings in class to your peers. The questions that need to be addressed in your project are the following; 1. What are exotic, alien, invasive species? 2. What specific problems might your invasive specie have on native species and communities? 3. How might your exotic species affect us, either directly, or indirectly? 4. What are the financial costs of your exotic species in general 5. Where do they originally come from and how do they get introduced? 6. What are their current distributions (where are they at now)? 7. How do they spread into other areas? 8. How do we identify your specific exotic species, what do they look like? 9. What are some general characteristics of your exotic specie? 10. How might we control them, and their spread to other areas? 11. What can individuals do to help? 12. How might someone get more information, where do you look?

8. Invasive Species Resources Invasive Species DatabaseDEP Invasive Species in Connecticut Invasive Species by State Huge Invasive Species ListUCONN invasive species http://www.invasivespecies.gov/ Invasive Species InitiativeNatural Resources Conservation Services Cost Analysis Fact Sheet (non-specific) www.invasive.org www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov http://nas.er.usgs.gov www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov http://plants.usda.gov http://invasions.si.edu http://www.issg.org/database/welcome/ http://www.nbii.gov/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=221&mode=2&in_hi_userid=2&cached=true