time are the ones that usually hurt us. Zebra mussels affect our economy, health and agriculture in many ways and all we can do is watch. It can happen in a matter of days and develop into a traumatizing sequence of events for not only a small region, but a whole country. The luxurious Great Lakes ecosystem has been severely damaged by more than 180 invasive and non-native species. According to Felix Martinez, species such as zebra mussels, quagga mussels, round goby, sea lamprey, and alewife reproduce
The Scientific name of a zebra mussel is Dreissena polymorpha. A 5-week experiment was done where zebra mussels where placed in an environment that lacked them. After the 1st week, the researchers noticed that the bio volume of the phytoplankton decreased by 53% and the bio volume of the ciliate decreased by 71%. Zebra Mussels caused a lot of algae to decrease in the beginning of the experiment, however, the algal abundance did not stay consistent throughout the experiment. The concentrations of
Introduction The Zebra Mussel (Dreissena polymorpha), is a small freshwater mollusk that is an invasive species. It has slowly been making its way into the United States. It has done this by showing up in lakes and in rivers. The mussels get their name due to the striped pattern on their shells. They are a relatively small species, only growing to the size of a human finger nail but there have been cases of larger (“Zebra Mussels,” 2013, para. 2). Mussels live a short life span of 4-5 years and most
Zebra mussels have now found there way to the United States originating from the Caspian Sea and sought habitation, originally, in Lake St. Claire when ballast water brought them in. From there, zebra mussels have spread and have caused havoc to the environments and its biodiversity, specifically, Presque Isle. Zebra mussels are filter feeders of zooplankton and phytoplanktons, making the water appear clearer, but not cleaner. They have negatively impacted the existence of clams, walleye and several
control them are not as thorough as they should be. The biggest characteristic with invasive species is that, they are not native. This means they are not supposed to be in Minnesota waters. Invasive species can be a plant or an animal, such as a mussel, fish, weed, or snail. Some effects of invasive species are that, they can kill native fish, destroy spawning beds, and cause much more environmental harm. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, DNR, has been doing studies to show the harm
Ecosystem Instability: The Incumbent Problems and Possible Solutions Thesis Ecosystem instability is a problem that we can no longer put off to the side. We are being confronted with this problem and we need to find ways to resolve the present situations. The forms of confrontation are through foriegn invaders and lack of apex predators (to name a few). We must realize that through research as well as changes in lifestyle we can save our planet. These changes must occur individually for them
Invasive species do not only affect other species in their ecosystem, but also cost the United States more than one hundred and twenty million dollars each year in damages (“Cost” par. 2). Invasive species come in all different forms, and all have a negative impact on the environment. These species can come into a new area without being detected at first, but as time goes on their effects can soon be seen. Efforts are being made to prevent these invasive species from destroying fish population
water, often laced with organisms not naturally found in their new region. The zebra mussel provides food for a certain type of fish, and also contains several toxins because it is a filter feeder. The level of toxins in the fish due to the biological amplification is high. But if and when a new type of fish are introduced, which eats zebra mussels and provides a more preferred food for the fish which formerly ate the mussels, a new level of biological amplification is inserted.
Canada is a very large country, with areas of land in various climate regions, and land regions, thus having many ecozones that differentiate from another. The most populated ecozone in Canada is the Mixedwood Plains; the ecozone we are located in, named after the mixedwood forests that are native to the area. The Mixedwood Plains is one of the smallest of the Canadian ecozones, spanning only 175 963 kilometres squared. The Mixedwood Plains is bordered by three of the great lakes on the southern
that ruined your weekend of fun? They are zebra mussels, and are found in lakes, rivers, and other bodies of freshwater across the U.S. Normally found in Eastern Europe, the first group of this invasive species hitched a ride in the ballast tanks of ocean liners in the 1980s, and quickly spread. Regulations are in place to stop the spread, but removing them from places that have already been infested is tricky. Today we will talk about the damages zebra mussels cause, how this problem is managed, and
The zebra mussel is a small freshwater mussel, this species was originally native to the lakes of southern Russia. From their first appearance in American waters in 1988, zebra mussels have spread to a large number of waterways, including Lake Simcoe in the Great Lakes region and the Mississippi, Cumberland, Ohio, Tennessee, Michigan, Colorado, and Arkansas Rivers. Unfortunately, the invasion of the Zebra Mussel continues. For instance, in 2009 the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
Freshwater Mussels Mussels are a species of marine life that inhabits many of the bodies of water in the United States. They serve as an important aspect of the ecological system of the water in which they occupy. However, the number of mussels have been declining such that many are now considered as endangered species. There are a few reasons for the decline in population, including domination by a single species of mussels called the zebra mussel. Conservation has begun on mussels because of
research is a Zebra. A Zebra is a mammal that belongs to the horse family. There are three main species of zebras; Mountain, Plains (Common Zebra) and Grevy’s. A zebra is generally found to live in East and South Africa, A zebra eats plants. Their natural predators are lions, hyenas and other animals. The Grevy’s zebra is the only species that exhibits unique territorial behavior. Courtship behavior is demonstrated when the male zebra displays dominance over the female. In addition, zebras exhibit unique
Over the summer, she and I decided to make animal print the dominant characteristic of our room. Although I stuck to zebra stripe, her bed linens incorporate every animal print imaginable. She chose a bed set that has small zebra print running the length. In between is a larger strip of dark leopard spots and a deep tan background. The two prints contrast each other as much as the zebras and leopards themselves, making it a discernable item that draws attention to itself. An overstuffed pillow sits in
thorn thickets and tall grass. Male lions can reach a length of 2.50m (8ft), and a weight of 250kg (550lb). They can live for 15 years, but in captivity some have reached an age of up to 30 years. They mainly eat larger herbivores such as buffalo, zebra, and in cultivated areas an occasionally human. There strength is amazing, and both parents take great care in tending to their young, often referred to as cubs (168-69). Much is to be said about the mannerisms and personalities of lions, and no
Land of Changing Environments Climate change has been debated around the world, and multiple sources are being blamed for global warming. While many people are trying to discover the causes of global warming, the effects of climate change are already impacting environments locally. Minnesota contains many environments and species which are being affected by the changing climate. “From 1895 to 1970, Minnesota's average temperature rose about one tenth of a degree every decade. But since then it has
the antioxidant defenses of zebra mussels were affected in the presence of different
Fear for Freshwater Our Great Lakes have been used in recreational activity for possibly many centuries. Our children beg and whine for any chance to make it out to the beaches that surround our largest source of freshwater. And even though research and funds could be possibly used elsewhere, there are threats to the Great Lakes that are slowly destroying the Lake’s resources and ecosystems, mostly due to pollution coming from the air we, as humans, breath, habitat destruction and invasive species
Species such as the zebra mussel, quagga mussel, urasian malfoil, sea lamprey, and asian carp reproduce and spread. These invasive miscreants ultimately degrade habitat, outcompete the native species, not to mention short-circuiting food webs. When a new and aggressive species is introduced
Predators, prey, and scavengers that are native to the same area will not harm the population of each other’s species nor harm the environment if unprovoked. The food chain, if undisrupted, is a complex system of animals that remained perfectly stable before humans intervened and began to damage ecosystems and the population of animals that live in a specific ecosystem. As humans began to intervene, species began to die off at a more rapid pace that affected all ecosystems around the world. Many