Sunday, April 29, 2007

Readings for 5/2

This Wednesday our guest speaker will be Beth Suedmeyer from the Massachusetts Wetlands Restoration Program. Beth will be speaking about the state's purple loosestrife biocontrol project, which you can read more about here.

Readings for this class are:
  • "AN UPDATE ON THE BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF PURPLE LOOSESTRIFE IN MASSACHUSETTS." 2007. by Beth Suedmeyer. AMWS newsletter, April. (sent to students via email)
  • "Indirect effects of host-specific biological control agents." by Pearson, D. E. and R. M. Callaway. 2003. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 18(9): 456-461. (pdf)
Guests are welcome for this lecture and discussion.

Links from Monday's class

Here are web links relevant to Monday's class:

Saturday, April 28, 2007

Readings for 4/30

For Monday's class we will be covering chemical controls:

Chemical Controls

Pick one from Group A and one from Group B:

Group A
  • TNC's Weed Control Methods Handbook: Tools and Techniques for Use in Natural Areas
    • Chapter 6 (Herbicide Properties) (.pdf) + One section (A through K) from Chapter 7 (The Herbicides)

  • NIMPIS: Control options - Rapid Response Toolbox
    • Chemical Control (read whole page, click "More Information" for at least three techniques)
Group B

Monday, April 23, 2007

Readings for 4/25

Starting with Wednesday's class, we will be covering invasive species control methods. Up first: Physical Controls.

This week you have a smorgasboard of reading choices. Make your choices and email them to me before class on Tuesday.

Choose one from each group:

Group 1

  • TNC's Weed Control Methods Handbook: Tools and Techniques for Use in Natural Areas
    • Chapter 1 (Manual and Mechanical Techniques) (.pdf)

  • Plant Management in Florida Waters (Pick either Physical or Mechanical)


Group 2

Readings from 4/23

Modeling of Biological Invasions

Here are the readings from Monday's class, emailed out last week:

Since our "guest speaker" unfortunately couldn't make it due to internet difficulties, you might want to watch Curt Daehler's talk, Modeling Biological Invasions, on your own.

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Readings for 4/18

This week we will be discussing ecological impacts of invasive species. Pay attention to allusions to ecological impacts and try to come up with concrete examples we have covered in class.

Readings were sent out by email earlier this week, here are the details:

  • Flecker & Townsend. 1994. "Community-Wide Consequences of Trout Introduction in New Zealand Streams." Ecological Applications. 4(4): 798-807. (available via JSTOR if you are missing the email)
  • Gurevitch & Padilla. 2004. "Are invasive species a major cause of
    extinctions?
    " (pdf) Trends in Ecology & Evolution. 19(9): 470-474.

Sunday, April 8, 2007

Readings for 4/11

In Wednesday's class we will be discussing economic impacts of invasive species.

Readings:


P.S. - Much of what you hear in the lecture comes from the following book chapter:

Naylor, Rosamond. (2000). The Economics of Alien Species Invasions. Invasive Species in a Changing World. H. A. Mooney and R. J. Hobbs. Washington D.C., Island Press: 351-368.

And if you are so inclined to learn more, our library does have a copy of the book.

Class 4/9

For Monday's class, we are lucky to have as out guest speaker Melinda Gammon, who will be discussing her research on Japanese knotweed. Papers were emailed to you last week.

Sunday, April 1, 2007

Readings and Homework for 4/2 and 4/4

For Monday's class (4/2), we will be attending a thesis defense at 2:30pm, and then meeting at our regular time to discuss the talk and the paper that was handed out in class last week.

For Wednesday's class (4/4), you will be completing an invasive species pathway risk assessment. Pathways were selected last week - please contact me immediately if you do not have a pathway! Bring all related documents to class as we will be filling out the risk assessment there. This will be a graded assignment and is required to be done in class. We will be working with the National Invasive Species Council Pathways Work Team: Focus Group Conference Report And Pathways Ranking Guide that was handed out in class last week.