scholarly journals Invasive species triggers a massive loss of ecosystem services through a trophic cascade

2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (15) ◽  
pp. 4081-4085 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jake R. Walsh ◽  
Stephen R. Carpenter ◽  
M. Jake Vander Zanden
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Great Lakes ◽  
Water Clarity ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Economic Effects ◽  
Phosphorus Loading ◽  
Bythotrephes Longimanus ◽  
Lake Mendota ◽  
Inland Lakes

Despite growing recognition of the importance of ecosystem services and the economic and ecological harm caused by invasive species, linkages between invasions, changes in ecosystem functioning, and in turn, provisioning of ecosystem services remain poorly documented and poorly understood. We evaluate the economic impacts of an invasion that cascaded through a food web to cause substantial declines in water clarity, a valued ecosystem service. The predatory zooplankton, the spiny water flea (Bythotrephes longimanus), invaded the Laurentian Great Lakes in the 1980s and has subsequently undergone secondary spread to inland lakes, including Lake Mendota (Wisconsin), in 2009. In Lake Mendota, Bythotrephes has reached unparalleled densities compared with in other lakes, decreasing biomass of the grazer Daphnia pulicaria and causing a decline in water clarity of nearly 1 m. Time series modeling revealed that the loss in water clarity, valued at US$140 million (US$640 per household), could be reversed by a 71% reduction in phosphorus loading. A phosphorus reduction of this magnitude is estimated to cost between US$86.5 million and US$163 million (US$430–US$810 per household). Estimates of the economic effects of Great Lakes invasive species may increase considerably if cases of secondary invasions into inland lakes, such as Lake Mendota, are included. Furthermore, such extreme cases of economic damages call for increased investment in the prevention and control of invasive species to better maximize the economic benefits of such programs. Our results highlight the need to more fully incorporate ecosystem services into our analysis of invasive species impacts, management, and public policy.

A management framework for preventing the secondary spread of aquatic invasive species

2008 ◽  
Vol 65 (7) ◽  
pp. 1512-1522 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Jake Vander Zanden ◽  
Julian D. Olden
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Great Lakes ◽  
Biological Invasions ◽  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Aquatic Invasive Species ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Bythotrephes Longimanus ◽  
Isolated Populations ◽  
Rainbow Smelt ◽  
Secondary Spread

Biological invasions continue to accelerate, and there is a need for closer integration between invasive species research and on-the-ground management. In many regions, aquatic invasive species have established isolated populations, but have not yet spread to many sites that provide suitable habitat. In the Laurentian Great Lakes region, several Great Lakes invaders such as zebra mussel ( Dreissena polymorpha ), rainbow smelt ( Osmerus mordax ), and spiny water flea ( Bythotrephes longimanus ) are currently undergoing secondary spread to the smaller inland lakes and streams. This paper describes recent advances in forecasting the secondary spread of aquatic invasive species and presents a framework for assessing vulnerability of inland waters based on explicit assessment of three distinct aspects of biological invasions: colonization, site suitability, and adverse impact. In many cases, only a fraction of lakes on the landscape are vulnerable to specific invasive species, highlighting the potential application of this type of research for improving invasive species management. Effective application to on-the-ground resource management will require that research aimed at assessing site vulnerability be translated into management tools.

scholarly journals Mapping the economic loss of ecosystem services caused by the invasive plant species Antigonon leptopus on the Dutch Caribbean Island of St. Eustatius

One Ecosystem ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seringe Huisman ◽  
Wendy Jesse ◽  
Jacintha Ellers ◽  
Pieter van Beukering
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Ecosystem Service ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Economic Loss ◽  
Economic Effects ◽  
Baseline Scenario ◽  
Caribbean Island ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Dutch Caribbean

Invasive species are a worldwide threat to biodiversity, especially on Caribbean islands. Through their impact on the structure and functioning of ecosystems, they also affect ecosystem services. Therefore, invasive species can have profound socio-economic effects. On the Dutch Caribbean Island of St. Eustatius, the invasive perennial vine Coralita is present on roughly 33% of the Island. While ecological damage is evident, effective management strategies are still lacking. This study links the ecological, cultural and societal effects of the invasion to the economy of the Island by estimating the ecosystem service losses due to Coralita in monetary value. We have spatially assessed the economic value of five main ecosystem services (tourism, non-use value, carbon sequestration, archaeology and local cultural and recreational value) to the different habitats on the Island and estimated the loss of these values under three scenarios of Coralita cover: 0%, 3% and 36% dominant cover. The baseline scenario of 0% demonstrated a total ecosystem service value of $2.7 million per year, concentrated on the Quill volcano. The 3% and 36% scenario showed a yearly loss of $39,804 and $576,704, respectively, with the largest losses located on the northern and eastern slopes of the Quill. These areas should be prioritised for management and the known potential gain per area enables choice of strategy, based on cost-benefit considerations. To reduce further economic loss by Coralita, we urgently advise an immediate management strategy and ongoing research into eradication and restoration methods.

scholarly journals Rapid evolution mitigates the ecological consequences of an invasive species ( Bythotrephes longimanus ) in lakes in Wisconsin

2017 ◽  
Vol 284 (1858) ◽  
pp. 20170814 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael K. Gillis ◽  
Matthew R. Walsh
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Population Growth ◽  
Rapid Evolution ◽  
Water Clarity ◽  
The Body ◽  
Bythotrephes Longimanus ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Contemporary Evolution ◽  
Term Data

Invasive species have extensive negative consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem health. Novel species also drive contemporary evolution in many native populations, which could mitigate or amplify their impacts on ecosystems. The predatory zooplankton Bythotrephes longimanus invaded lakes in Wisconsin, USA, in 2009. This invasion caused precipitous declines in zooplankton prey ( Daphnia pulicaria ), with cascading impacts on ecosystem services (water clarity). Here, we tested the link between Bythotrephes invasion, evolution in Daphnia and post-invasion ecological dynamics using 15 years of long-term data in conjunction with comparative experiments. Invasion by Bythotrephes is associated with rapid increases in the body size of Daphnia . Laboratory experiments revealed that such shifts have a genetic component; third-generation laboratory-reared Daphnia from ‘invaded’ lakes are significantly larger and exhibit greater reproductive effort than individuals from ‘uninvaded’ lakes. This trajectory of evolution should accelerate Daphnia population growth and enhance population persistence. We tested this prediction by comparing analyses of long-term data with laboratory-based simulations, and show that rapid evolution in Daphnia is associated with increased population growth in invaded lakes.

Socio-economic effects of labor migration from small towns of Russia

2016 ◽  
pp. 103-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Mkrtchyan ◽  
Y. Florinskaya
Keyword(s):  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Labor Migration ◽  
Small Towns ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Economic Effects ◽  
Spatial Mobility ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
High Labor ◽  
Standardized Interview

The article examines labor migration from small Russian towns: prevalence of the phenomenon, the direction and duration of trips, spheres of employment and earnings of migrants, social and economic benefits of migration for households. The representative surveys of households and migrant-workers by a standardized interview were conducted in four selected towns. Authors draw a conclusion about high labor spatial mobility of the population of small towns and existence of positive effects for migrant’s households and the economy of towns themselves.

Long-Term (15 Years) Results of NPS Controls in an Agricultural Watershed upon a Receiving Lake's Water Quality

1993 ◽  
Vol 28 (3-5) ◽  
pp. 441-449 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul J. Garrison ◽  
Timothy R. Asplund
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Soil Phosphorus ◽  
Water Clarity ◽  
Management Control ◽  
Agricultural Watershed ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Phosphorus Loading ◽  
Phosphorus Concentration ◽  
White Clay

Nonpoint source controls were installed in a 1215 ha agricultural watershed in northeastern Wisconsin in the late 1970. Changes were made in handling of animal wastes and cropping practices to reduce runoff of sediment and nutrients. Modelling results predicted a reduction in phosphorus runoff of 30 percent. The water quality of White Clay Lake has worsened since the installation of NPS controls. The lake's phosphorus concentration has increased from a mean of 29 µg L−1 in the late 1970s to 44 µg L−1 in recent years. Water clarity has declined from 2.7 to 2.1 m and the mean summer chlorophyll levels have increased from 9 to 13 µg L−1 with peak values exceeding 40 µg L−1. Increased phosphorus loading is not the result of elevated precipitation but instead the failure of the control measures to sufficiently reduce P loading. Most of the effort was placed on structural changes while most of the P loading comes from cropland runoff. Further, soil phosphorus concentrations have increased because of artificial fertilizers and manure spreading. The White Clay Lake experience is discouraging since the majority of the polluters in this watershed utilized some NPS control practices, including 76 percent of the farms which installed waste management control facilities.

scholarly journals The Economic Effects of Electromobility in Sustainable Urban Public Transport

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 878 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliwia Pietrzak ◽  
Krystian Pietrzak
Keyword(s):  
Public Transport ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Economic Effects ◽  
Urban Transport ◽  
Energy Mix ◽  
Zero Emission ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Given

This paper focuses on effects of implementing zero-emission buses in public transport fleets in urban areas in the context of electromobility assumptions. It fills the literature gap in the area of research on the impact of the energy mix of a given country on the issues raised in this article. The main purpose of this paper is to identify and analyse economic effects of implementing zero-emission buses in public transport in cities. The research area was the city of Szczecin, Poland. The research study was completed using the following research methods: literature review, document analysis (legal acts and internal documents), case study, ratio analysis, and comparative analysis of selected variants (investment variant and base variant). The conducted research study has shown that economic benefits resulting from implementing zero-emission buses in an urban transport fleet are limited by the current energy mix structure of the given country. An unfavourable energy mix may lead to increased emissions of SO2 and CO2 resulting from operation of this kind of vehicle. Therefore, achieving full effects in the field of electromobility in the given country depends on taking concurrent actions in order to diversify the power generation sources, and in particular on increasing the share of Renewable Energy Sources (RES).

Using cultural ecosystem services to inform restoration priorities in the Laurentian Great Lakes

2015 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 418-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
J David Allan ◽  
Sigrid DP Smith ◽  
Peter B McIntyre ◽  
Christine A Joseph ◽  
Caitlin E Dickinson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Great Lakes ◽  
Laurentian Great Lakes ◽  
Cultural Ecosystem Services

scholarly journals Trends and abrupt changes in 104 years of ice cover and water temperature in a dimictic lake in response to air temperature, wind speed, and water clarity drivers

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 1681-1702 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madeline R. Magee ◽  
Chin H. Wu ◽  
Dale M. Robertson ◽  
Richard C. Lathrop ◽  
David P. Hamilton
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Water Temperature ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Water Clarity ◽  
Ice Cover ◽  
Ice Thickness ◽  
Lake Mendota ◽  
The Third ◽  
Abrupt Changes ◽  
Hypolimnetic Heating

Abstract. The one-dimensional hydrodynamic ice model, DYRESM-WQ-I, was modified to simulate ice cover and thermal structure of dimictic Lake Mendota, Wisconsin, USA, over a continuous 104-year period (1911–2014). The model results were then used to examine the drivers of changes in ice cover and water temperature, focusing on the responses to shifts in air temperature, wind speed, and water clarity at multiyear timescales. Observations of the drivers include a change in the trend of warming air temperatures from 0.081 °C per decade before 1981 to 0.334 °C per decade thereafter, as well as a shift in mean wind speed from 4.44 m s−1 before 1994 to 3.74 m s−1 thereafter. Observations show that Lake Mendota has experienced significant changes in ice cover: later ice-on date(9.0 days later per century), earlier ice-off date (12.3 days per century), decreasing ice cover duration (21.3 days per century), while model simulations indicate a change in maximum ice thickness (12.7 cm decrease per century). Model simulations also show changes in the lake thermal regime of earlier stratification onset (12.3 days per century), later fall turnover (14.6 days per century), longer stratification duration (26.8 days per century), and decreasing summer hypolimnetic temperatures (−1.4 °C per century). Correlation analysis of lake variables and driving variables revealed ice cover variables, stratification onset, epilimnetic temperature, and hypolimnetic temperature were most closely correlated with air temperature, whereas freeze-over water temperature, hypolimnetic heating, and fall turnover date were more closely correlated with wind speed. Each lake variable (i.e., ice-on and ice-off dates, ice cover duration, maximum ice thickness, freeze-over water temperature, stratification onset, fall turnover date, stratification duration, epilimnion temperature, hypolimnion temperature, and hypolimnetic heating) was averaged for the three periods (1911–1980, 1981–1993, and 1994–2014) delineated by abrupt changes in air temperature and wind speed. Average summer hypolimnetic temperature and fall turnover date exhibit significant differences between the third period and the first two periods. Changes in ice cover (ice-on and ice-off dates, ice cover duration, and maximum ice thickness) exhibit an abrupt change after 1994, which was related in part to the warm El Niño winter of 1997–1998. Under-ice water temperature, freeze-over water temperature, hypolimnetic temperature, fall turnover date, and stratification duration demonstrate a significant difference in the third period (1994–2014), when air temperature was warmest and wind speeds decreased rather abruptly. The trends in ice cover and water temperature demonstrate responses to both long-term and abrupt changes in meteorological conditions that can be complemented with numerical modeling to better understand how these variables will respond in a future climate.

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