Cases which involve invasive or alien species: 

All cases are copyrighted by the authors.  Reference and citation information is available from the case documents and from the original sites the cases were published.

Data for cases is available for download at the bottom of this page.

From The Univ. of Buffalo

Chesapeake Bay--"Can Suminoe Oysters Save Chesapeake Bay?"  This dilemma case explores the controversy associated with introducing non-native oysters to the Chesapeake Bay as a means of improving its ecological and economic health. Developed for use in an interdisciplinary doctoral program in Energy and Environmental Studies, it could be adapted for undergraduate courses ranging from ecology to biology to political science to geography. The case introduces students to the various stakeholders and their positions from the point of view of a senator who must cast the deciding vote on whether or not to introduce Suminoe oysters (Crassostrea ariakensis) into the bay. Students read the case, then work in small groups to develop a stakeholder position, which they later role-play in class in a simulated public hearing. 

Exotics--"The exotic Lonicera"  This case examines the biological, ecological, social, political, and economic factors surrounding exotic species as well as the role of resource managers in shaping public policy on environmental issues. In addition to conservation ecology courses, this case would be appropriate for a non-majors science course, a bioethics course, or a majors biology course such as ecology. 

Nature--"Improving on Nature?"  In 1958, black bass were introduced into Lake Atitlan in the highlands of western Guatemala as a way to attract tourism and boost the local economy, but unforeseen complications resulted in an ecological disaster. Developed for an introductory course in biology, this case study first casts students in the role of the local population at that time and asks them to judge the proposal to introduce the new species of fish. The students then review the ensuing events from a historical perspective based on additional information they receive from the instructor in a progressive disclosure format.

Rabbits--"Rabbit Calicivirus Disease: Magic Bullet or Pandora’s Box? A Case Study on Biological Controls"  The characters in this dilemma case, representing the scientific community and government, must make a decision about whether or not to release a virulent pathogen into the environment in order to control the rapidly expanding population of European rabbits in New Zealand. As they work through the case, students grapple with the complex issues associated with introduced species and biological controls. 

From Univ. of Delaware

Out of Control--https://chico.nss.udel.edu/Pbl/viewIndex.jsp  (need to login to Univ. of Del. case study database to view link)   The population of Lesser Snow Geese is growing exponentially in the US and Canada. Growth curves, survivorship curves, and interspecific interactions are considered, as well as the effects of this population on US and Canadian ecosystems. Out of control_1.pdf   Out of control_2.pdf   Additional case information is available on the UDEL site listed above.

From Emory University

1918 Pandemic--"Bird Flu and the 1918 Pandemic"The threat of an outbreak of avian flu caught the attention of the public, government, and media. How serious is avian flu? Where did it come from? Scientists from around the world focus on the probability of an outbreak.

Rats--"Oh, Rats!" Rats, rats, rats everywhere! Why is there an explosion of rats in the town of Decatur? Concerned citizens want answers now!

English Ivy in GA-- "Invasion!" Invasives are taking over!  In this case, students will learn about the dark side of plant life, including the threat that invasive plants pose to the survival of native ecosystems.  After sharpening their skills at measuring and interpreting landscape data using the metric system, students will develop restoration plans to restore an invaded area of the schoolyard to its natural habitat.

invasion.zip (contains SM: student materials, TG: teacher guide, and SP: sample student products) 

From Bioquest

Snakehead-- http://bioquest.org/scope2009/?page_id=205  Case study dealing with the consequences of releaseing an alien fish species into North America.  The case involves news articles from the Christian Science Monitor and Associate Press detailing the impact from the Northern Snakehead fish and the massive number of alien species released into North America each year.  The case also provides a guide to creating an active learning module concerning invasive/alien species as well as some references, data, commentary, and responces from previous case builders.  Handout#1.doc Handout#2.doc   MSNBC_4_21_2005.doc  CSM_8_19_2004.doc

From Bioquest/NESCent

Blunder from Dow-under-- http://www.nescent.org/courses/2008/workshops/PAEMST.php  This case study space involves an alien tree species from Australia and its subsequent invasion of the Florida Everglades.  The quest to control invasives species is frought with ethical and ecological questions.  The space is from NESCent has a wealth of computational tools, general resources, references, and classroom specific items.  BlunderfromDownUnder.pdf

From Bedrock(BioQuest)

Tamarix  Tamarick_bedrock case.pdf takes over the world!--  http://www.bioquest.org/bedrock/problem_spaces/tamarix/index.php  The ecological success of Tamarix has proven disastrous for native species. Tamarix forms dense, monotypic stands on riverbanks, crowding out other plant species. These stands support substantially fewer local animal species than do the indigenous plant communities they displace. Each Tamarix plant consumes up to 200 gallons of water a day, seriously depleting local water tables. Additionally, salty secretions from Tamarix salinize the soil and make it unsuitable for other plants. Tamarix recovers quickly from burning, cutting, and salting, and easily re-invades areas where it has been successfully eradicated.

This problem space includes data from a published study of Tamarix in both the United States and its native range in Eurasia. These data include the geographic location (latitude and longitude) and nucleotide sequences for each individual plant sampled. ( Tamarix is diploid, so a single plant contains two copies, or haplotypes , of the genetic sequence: these may or may not be identical.) The nucleotide sequence data come from an intron of the PepC nuclear gene and are therefore assumed not to experience direct natural selection.  Tamarix_bedrock case.pdf

Data for use in the workshop and with the cases above.  Formating of the data is in Excel and GIS formats.

English Ivy Data(location and frequency)  IPAMS_Data_hedera helix.xls

J. Honeysuckle Data(location and frequency)  IPAMS_Data_lonicera japonica.xls

Tamarix Data(multiple species, location and frequency)  IPAMS_Data_tamarix parviflora.xls  IPAMS_Data_tamarix chinesis.xls  IPAMS_Data_tamarix aphylla.xls  IPAMS_Data_tamarix ramosissima.xls tornadx020.xlsx  prism0p020.xlsx  amphibt.xlsx  afrbeep020.xlsx  Yieldfield KY.xlsx