Biological Invasions

1
Biological Invasions

• Goal CDC for biological invasions monitoring,
  progression and consequences of invasions?

2
Levels of Investigation

• Genetic (genetic change, introgression, gene
  expression, genetic tracking)
• Population and community (demographics, trophic
  interactions, diversity)
• Ecosystem (productivity, material flux)
• Landscape (epidemiology remote sensing)
• Data integration and visualization across levels

3
Questions

• What are the invasive species?
• Multiple vs. single invasions?
• What is an invasive species?
• Genetic introgression How much do they breed
  with natives?
• What are the new ecological interactions?
• How rapidly does evolution happen?
• What makes an invasive species invasive?
• Are their specific gene expressions that define
  invasiveness?

4
Questions cont.

• Where are the invasions happening?
• How does environmental change correlate with
  invasiveness?
• Invasions at different scales (e.g., microbial,
  parasites, etc.)?
• What is the role of anthropogenic environmental
  change in invasion (e.g. fragmentation)?
• How can we predict the chronology of an invasion?
• Effects on Ecosystem services

5
Field Sites Regional ongoing field
sites Cross-habitats Cross-species Monitor,
measure Ecosystem conseq. Field manipulation
Research Collections
Biotrons (e.g., Biosphere, Duke,
Wisc.DRI_ experimental/containment
Center for Research on Invasive Species and
Ecosystem Services (CRISES) An Ecological CDC
Other NEONs
Genomics Facility Molecular phylogeny Gene
Expression
Remote Sensing Remote identification of species
and processes.