lesson plan – invasive species summary - gcoos

LessonPlan–InvasiveSpecies

SummaryThislessonwilldefinetheterminvasivespeciesandexplaintheecologicalconsequenceswhenforeignspeciesareintroducedintoasystem.Studentswillbeintroducedtoexamplesofinvasivespeciesthatarenowpermanentorganismsinourecosystems.Thelessonwillalsoaddressmeasurestomitigatenegativeimpactsofinvasivespeciesandhowtopreventadditionalinvasivespeciesfromestablishinginourecosystems.ContentAreaEcology,MarineBiologyGradeLevel3-5KeyConcept(s)•  Invasivespeciesareorganismsintroducedintoanecosystemthatarenotnativeto

thatecosystem.

KeyConcept(s)•  Invasivespeciescanhavedevastatingeffectsontheecologicalbalanceofan

ecosystem.Theycanoutcompeteandconsumenativespeciesandreducethebiodiversityinanecosystem.

•  Someinvasivespeciesaremoredamagingtonativeecosystemthatothers.•  Manyspeciesthatyoumayencountereverydayareinvasivespecies.•  Invasivespeciescanimpacteconomicalresourcesandcostmillionsindamageand

control.•  Youcantakestepstoreducethenegativeimpactofinvasivespeciesandprevent

newinvadersfromenteringourecosystems.

ObjectivesStudentswillbeableto:•  Defineinvasivespecies.•  Namethreeexamplesofinvasivespeciesthataffecttheirlocaland/orregional

ecology.•  Explainoneexamplehowinvasivespeciescausedamagetoexistingnative

ecosystems.

LessonPlan–InvasiveSpecies

ObjectivesStudentswillbeableto:•  Nametwowaystheycanhelpreducethenegativeimpactofinvasivespeciesand

preventtheintroductionofnativespeciesintoourecosystems.

ResourcesEcologicalinformation,speciesprofiles,andregulationshttps://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/aquatics/main.shtmlNationalWildlifeFederation:Information,species,howtohelphttp://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Threats-to-Wildlife/Invasive-Species.aspxGCOOSLionfishandTigerShrimpinteractivemapshttps://bit.ly/3bSbxLihttps://bit.ly/39J4X84

LessonPlan–InvasiveSpecies

NationalScienceEducationStandardorOceanLiteracyEssentialPrinciple

LearningGoals

UnifyingConceptsandProcesses2.Evidence,models,andexplanation

Evidenceconsistsofobservationsanddataonwhichtobasescientificexplanations.Usingevidencetounderstandinteractionsallowsindividualstopredictchangesinnaturalanddesignedsystems.

UnifyingConceptsandProcesses3.Change,constancy,andmeasurement

Changesmightoccur,forexample,inpropertiesofmaterials,positionofobjects,motion,andformandfunctionofsystems.Interactionswithinandamongsystemsresultinchange.Changesvaryinrate,scale,andpattern,includingtrendsandcycles.

ScienceasInquiryA.1.AbilitiesnecessarytodoscientificinquiryAskaquestionsaboutobjects,organisms,andeventsintheenvironment.

Thisaspectofthestan-dardemphasizesstudentsaskingquestionsthattheycananswerwithscientificknowl-edge,combinedwiththeirownobserva-tions.Studentsshouldanswertheirques-tionsbyseekinginformationfromreliablesourcesofscientificinformationandfromtheirownobservationsandinvestigations.

LessonPlan–InvasiveSpecies

NationalScienceEducationStandardorOceanLiteracyEssentialPrinciple

LearningGoals

LifeScienceC.1.Characteristicsoforganisms

Organismscansurviveonlyinenvironmentsinwhichtheirneedscanbemet.Theworldhasmanydifferentenvironments,anddistinctenvironmentssupportthelifeofdifferenttypesoforganisms.

LifeScienceC.3.Organismsandtheirenvironments

Allorganismscausechangesintheenvironmentwheretheylive.Someofthesechangesaredetrimentaltotheorganismorotherorganisms,whereasothersarebeneficial.

ScienceinPersonalandSocialPerspectivesF.4.Changesinenvironments

Changesinenvironmentscanbenatur-alorinfluencedbyhumans.Somechangesaregood,somearebad,andsomeareneithergoodnorbad.Someenvironmentalchangesoccurslowly,andothersoccurrapidly.

LessonPlan–InvasiveSpecies

NationalScienceEducationStandardorOceanLiteracyEssentialPrinciple

LearningGoals

Principle6(3-5C.,C.7.,C.10.)TheoceanandhumansareinextricablyinterconnectedHumanimpactontheocean.

C.Humansimpacttheoceaninpositiveandnegativeways.C.7.Individualscantakeactionstoprotecttheocean.C.10.Everyonecanlearnandinfluenceotherpeopleaboutthewiseuseandprotectionoftheocean.

LessonPlan–InvasiveSpecies

InvasiveSpecies

No,notaliensfromouterspace!

Invasivespeciesareplantsandanimalsthatdonotnaturallyoccurinanarea.TheyarealsocalledNON-NATIVEorEXOTICspecies.

InvasiveSpeciesinFlorida

•  Morethan500non-nativeanimals•  Morethan1,180non-nativeplantsWhyaretheybad?Out-competenativespeciesDestroyhabitatCarrydiseases

SomeofFlorida’sInvasiveAnimals

Nutria

WildBoar—Europe

Python

CubanTreeFrog

MonkorQuakerParakeet(SouthAmerica)

IguanasCentralandSouthAmerica

Red-earedsliderMississippiRiverArea

FireantsNativetoCentralandSouthAmerica

HomeBud27

GiantAfricanLandSnail

WaterHyacinth(SouthAmerica)

Kudzu AirPotato SkunkVine

AlloriginatedinAsia

Youarehere!

BrazilianPepper

•  TheGulfofMexicoCoastalOceanObservingSystemcreatedatimeseriesmaptoshowhowlionfishareinvadingtheGulfofMexicoandCaribbeanSea.

•  https://bit.ly/39J4X84

HowhastheredlionfishspreadthroughouttheGulfofMexico?

Activity–InvasiveSpecies

Thisactivitywilldemonstratetostudentswhathappenswhenaninvasivespecieswithnonaturalpredatorsisintroducedintoanecosystem.Someofthenegativeeffectsinvasivespeciescanhaveonecosystemsincludepredationordisplacementofnativespecies,areductioninbiodiversity,andanupsetinthebalanceand/orstructureoftheecosystem.Materials•  Styrofoamboard(frompackaging)orfoamcraftsboard•  Pipecleaners(fourdifferentcolorsbesidesred);10eachof4colors(canbecut

pieces)•  Craftpompomballs(samefourcolorsaspipecleaners);12eachof4colors•  Redpipecleaners(Lionfish)

Whatwillwedo?

•  Buildanecosystem•  Introduceaninvasive

species•  Obliterateyour

ecosystem!

Note:acolorfulecosystemhasalotofbiodiversity(varietyoflife).Itisagoodsignofahealthyenvironment!

Buildyourecosystem

•  Use10eachoffourdifferentcolorpipecleanerstomakeahealthyecosystem.Eachcolorrepresentsaspeciesinyoursystem.

•  Place12eachoffourdifferentcolorpompoms(samecolorsasyourpipecleaners)ontheboard.Eachpompomrepresentsfoodforthespeciesthathasthesamepipecleanercolor

Forexample,ifyouuseabluepipecleanertorepresentabottlenosedolphin,thanabluepompommightbeafavoritefish(e.g.,sardines,anchovy,mullet).

InvasiveSpeciesAttack!

•  Redpipecleanersrepresentourinvasivespecies(lionfish).•  Eachround,Iwilltellyouhowmanyinvasivelionfish(redpipecleaners)to

add.•  Everytimeyouaddlionfish,youmustremoveatleastthatmany

pompomsofthecolororcolorsIcall.•  Sometimesitwillbethesamenumberofpompomsandothertimesitwill

bemorepompoms(becauselionfishhavevoraciousappetites!Also,theinvasivespeciescandirectly‘eat’apipecleanerofanothercolor!

•  WhenALLthepompomsofaparticularcolorare‘eaten’bytheinvasivespecies,youmustremoveallthepipecleanersofthatcolorfromtheStyrofoamboard(nofood=death!)

Whowillhavethelastnon-invasivespeciesontheirStyrofoamboard?

EcosystemObliterated!

•  Biodiversitywilleventuallydisappearandyouwillbeleftwithonlyinvasivespecies.

SomeoftheGulf’sthreatenedandendangeredspecies•  Invertebrates

–  Coral:Acroporacervicornis(StaghornCoral),Acroporapalmata(Elkhorn Coral)

•  Birds–  Baldeagle,Mississippisandhillcrane,whoopingcrane,pipingplover,brown

pelican•  Seaturtles

–  Kemp’sRidley,Green,Hawksbill,LeatherbackandLoggerheadturtles•  Mammals

–  Marine:Blue,Fin,Humpback,Minke,Sperm,Sei,andRightwhales;WestIndianManatee

–  Terrestrial:ALbeachmouse,FLpanther,FLsaltmarshvole,LAblackbear,PerdidoKeybeachmouse,puma

•  Fish–  Nassaugrouper,Gulfsturgeon,smalltoothsawfish

Howcanyouminimizetheunintentionalintroductionofinvasivespecies?

•  MaritimeIndustry–  Ballastwater–  Transportonthehullsofships

•  Escapefromfishfarms•  Openingofcanalsandwaterways•  Useoflivebait•  Releasefromaquariums/homes•  Releasefromfishtrade/fishstocking•  Recreationalboating•  Transportofagriculturalproducts•  Exoticpettradeindustry

AcknowledgementsLessondevelopedbyDr.ChrisSimonielloforBayPointElementary.Standards-cross-referencingandformattingbyGrantCraig.Questions,comments,edits?ContactDr.Chris:chris.Simoniello@gcoos.org