LTREB: Long-term effects of a species invasion on an aquatic ecosystem

外来物种生态影响大，经济损失巨大，是人类对世界影响最重要、控制最少的生态系统之一？S生态系统。物种入侵的长期影响可能与短期影响有很大不同，但人们仍然知之甚少。17年前斑马贻贝入侵哈德逊河后不久，它们对生态系统的几乎每个方面都产生了巨大的影响。最近，斑马贻贝的种群及其影响开始发生变化：斑马贻贝的存活率下降了100倍，生态系统的一些部分(但不是全部)已恢复到入侵前的状态。该奖项通过量化斑马贻贝的数量及其对水化学、水透明度以及哈德逊河浮游植物、浮游动物、细菌和本地珍珠贻贝的数量的影响，继续了研究人员对斑马贻贝入侵的长期研究。研究结果将有助于更好地了解斑马贻贝(世界上最重要的入侵者之一)，也将提供为数不多的关于入侵者长期影响的详细研究之一。这项研究的结果将对管理哈德逊河并面对非本地物种广泛影响的管理者具有重要价值。为了超越科学界，研究人员将通过在开放网站上发布数据来传播他们的发现；继续为初中生和高中生开展非常成功的计划；并通过公开讲座、研讨会、培训研讨会和报纸文章继续非常积极的外展计划。

Non-native species have large ecological effects, cause enormous economic damage, and are one of the most important and least well controlled of human impacts on the world?s ecosystems. The long-term effects of species invasions, which may differ considerably from short-term effects, are still poorly understood. Soon after zebra mussels invaded the Hudson River over 17 years ago, they had large impacts on nearly every aspect of the ecosystem. Recently, the zebra mussel population and its effects have begun to change: survival rates of zebra mussels have fallen by a factor of 100, and some, but not all, parts of the ecosystem have recovered toward pre-invasion conditions. This award continues the investigators' long-term study of zebra mussel invasion by quantifying the zebra mussel population and its effects on water chemistry, water clarity, and populations of phytoplankton, zooplankton, bacteria, and native pearly mussels in the Hudson River. Results will lead to a better understanding of the zebra mussel (one of the world's most important invaders), and also provide one of very few detailed studies of the long-term effects of an invader.Results from this research will be of significant value to managers who oversee with the Hudson River and who confront wide-ranging effects of non-native species. To reach beyond the scientific community, the researchers will disseminate their findings by posting data on open websites; continuing highly successful programs for middle- and high school students; and continuing a very active program of outreach through public lectures, seminars, training workshops, and newspaper articles.