Learning Module – Invasive Species
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In this module, we will explore many different invasive species and the effects they are having on different environments. Below you will find articles, questions, and activities explaining different invasive research. They are separated into two sections: invasive plants and invasive animals. Lastly, you will see scientist cards featuring scientists from many different fields who have studied invasive organisms and the impacts they've had on ecosystems around the country.
Invasive Plants
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Albizia Trees
- Read “Don’t Litter the Stream: An invasive Tree Species and a Hawaiian Stream Food Web” from the Hawaii Pacific Islands edition of Natural Inquirer and learn about rising nitrogen levels in a Hawaiian food web.
- Answer the reflection section questions as you read.
- Review your answers here.
- Complete the FACTivity from “Don’t Litter the Stream” by completing provided food web circles.
- Continue the FACTivity by comparing and contrasting the food webs you created.
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Knapweed
- Read “Goll-ly! Don’t Take a Knapweed!” from the Invasive Species edition of Natural Inquirer and learn how scientists studied the impact of non-native knapweed on deer mice.
- Answer the reflection section questions as you read.
- Review your answers here.
- Complete the FACTivity from “Goll-ly! Don’t Take the Knapweed!” by exploring different ways to display research findings.
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Oriental Bittersweet
- Read “Hurry Up and Wait” from the Invasive Species edition of Natural Inquirer and learn about the study on Oriental Bittersweet scientists performed to learn more about its germination and growth rates.
- Answer the reflection section questions as you read.
- Review your answers here.
- Complete the FACTivity from “Hurry Up and Wait” by completing a germination experiment using lima beans.
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Sudden Oak Death
- Read “Moving Spore-adically” from the Invasive Species edition of Natural Inquirer and discover how organisms are causing sudden oak death in California forests.
- Answer the reflection section questions as you read.
- Review your answers here.
- Complete the FACTivity from “Moving Spore-adically” by comparing what happened to the American chestnut tree and the threat of sudden oak death.
Invasive Animals
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Zebra Mussels
- Read “Think Outside the Box: Predicting the Spread of Invasive Species” from the Ecosystem Services edition of Natural Inquirer and learn about how globalization has lead to the spread of zebra mussels.
- Answer the reflection section questions as you read.
- Review your answers here.
- Complete the FACTivity from “Think Outside The Box” and explore the different species in your yard or schoolyard.
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Insects
- Read “Biodiversity and the World’s Forests” from the World’s Forests 2 edition to learn about how insects are affecting biodiversity.
- Answer the reflection section questions as you read.
- Review your answers here.
- Complete the FACTivity from “Biodiversity and the World’s Forests” by looking into the diversity in your classroom or school.
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Lion Fish
- Read “Lion in Wait: How Citizens Helped Scientists Identify a Rapid Invasion of Lionfish” from the Citizen Science edition of Natural Inquirer and learn about how scientists are collecting information on lionfish in the Gulf of Mexico.
- Answer the reflection section questions as you read.
- Review your answers here.
- Complete the FACTivity from “Lion in Wait” by completing your own observational study and filling in the provided graphic organizers.
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Spotted Knapweed
- Read “Invasion of the Song Snathcher!” from the Citizen Science edition of Natural Inquirer and learn about how an invasive species is affecting chipping sparrow songs.
- Answer the reflection section questions as you read.
- Review your answers here.
- Complete the FACTivity from “Invasion of the Song Snatcher!” and observe the birds you can find outside your home or school.
- Complete the technology FACTivity and analyze different bird songs by comparing different spectrograms.
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Earthworms
- Read “Worming Their Way In” and discover how many of the forests’ earthworms are native to the ecosystem.
- Answer the reflection section questions as you read.
- Review your answers here.
- Complete the FACTivity from “Worming Their Way In” and set up an experiment to gather organisms and collect data on the organisms outside your school or home.
- Complete the Alternate FACTivity and develop a taxonomic structure for a category of objects.
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Hemlock Woolly Adelgid
- Read “Woolly Bully” and learn about the effects an insect from East Asia is having on the trees in the Appalachian Mountains.
- Answer the reflection section questions as you read.
- Listen to this Forest Service podcast on the invasion of the hemlock woolly adelgid.
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Nun Moth
- Read “And Then There Were Nun” from the Invasive Species edition of Natural Inquirer and learn about the threat nun moths are putting on certain trees around the country.
- Answer the reflection section questions as you read.
- Review your answers here.
- Complete the FACTivity from “And Then There Were Nun” by drawing your own conclusions on the possible danger of nun moths on trees in your area.
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Trout
- Read “Knocked Out by Trout” from the Invasive Species edition of Natural Inquirer and discover how non-native trout species are affecting Pacific tree frog populations.
- Answer the reflection section questions as you read.
- Review your answer here.
- Complete the FACTivity for “Knocked Out by Trout” by grouping up and exploring society’s opinions on stocking Sierra Nevada lakes with fish.
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Pine Shoot Beetle
- Read “Shoot! Foiled Again!” from the Invasive Species edition of Natural Inquirer and see how scientists tested whether or not these invasive pine beetles could be deterred from attacking pine trees by the use of pheromones.
- Answer the reflection section questions as you read.
- Review your answer here.
- Complete the FACTivity from “Shoot! Foiled Again!” by completing the provided scent chart and discussing the importance of smell in humans and beetles.
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Asian Long-horned Beetle
- Read “Tag, You’re It!” from the Invasive Species edition of Natural Inquirer and learn how scientists were able to study the beetles’ flight patterns and distances.
- Answer the reflection section questions as you read.
- Review your answers here.
- Complete the FACTivity from “Tag, You’re It!” by pairing up and researching to make your own plan for destroying long-horned beetles.
Standards addressed in this Learning Module:
Social Studies Standards
Social Studies Standards are educational guidelines outlining the essential knowledge, skills, and concepts students should learn in subjects such as history, geography, civics, and economics, aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of societal structures, historical events, and global perspectives.
- People, Places, and Environments
- Science, Technology, and Society
- Time, Continuity, and Change
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Amy Hill, Forest Entomologist
- M.S., West Virginia University
- USDA Forest Service Scientist
- As a forest entomologist, I study how native trees interact with feeding from invasive insects from other countries.
- M.S., West Virginia University
- USDA Forest Service Scientist
- As a forest entomologist, I study how native trees interact with feeding from invasive insects from other countries.
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Frank Koch, Invasion Ecologist
- Ph.D., NC State University
- USDA Forest Service Scientist
- An invasion ecologist studies the ways in which species move out of their native environments and into new ones, where they sometimes have negative impacts.
- Ph.D., NC State University
- USDA Forest Service Scientist
- An invasion ecologist studies the ways in which species move out of their native environments and into new ones, where they sometimes have negative impacts.
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Rima Lucardi, Plant, Molecular, & Invasion Ecologist
- Ph.D., Mississippi State University
- USDA Forest Service Scientist
- An ecologist studies low organisms interact with each other and the environment. I use genetic tools to answer ecological questions related to plants and invasive species.
- Ph.D., Mississippi State University
- USDA Forest Service Scientist
- An ecologist studies low organisms interact with each other and the environment. I use genetic tools to answer ecological questions related to plants and invasive species.
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Dr. Rich MacKenzie, Aquatic Ecologist
- University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee
- USDA Forest Service Scientist
- An aquatic ecologist studies plants and animals that live in streams, lakes, and wetlands. We try to understand the roles these organisms play in aquatic ecosystems and how stressors such as land use change, climate change, and exotic species influence those roles.
- University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee
- USDA Forest Service Scientist
- An aquatic ecologist studies plants and animals that live in streams, lakes, and wetlands. We try to understand the roles these organisms play in aquatic ecosystems and how stressors such as land use change, climate change, and exotic species influence those roles.
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Ariel Lugo, Ecologist
- Ph.D., The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- USDA Forest Service Scientist
- I am a tropical ecologist, and I study forests, wetlands, and cities in the tropics.
- Ph.D., The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- USDA Forest Service Scientist
- I am a tropical ecologist, and I study forests, wetlands, and cities in the tropics.
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Haiganoush Preisler, Statistical Scientist
- University of California, Berkeley
- USDA Forest Service Scientist
- As a statistical scientist I translate scientists' hypothesis and word problems into a few (essential) equations that help further our understanding of the world we live in.
- University of California, Berkeley
- USDA Forest Service Scientist
- As a statistical scientist I translate scientists' hypothesis and word problems into a few (essential) equations that help further our understanding of the world we live in.
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Ken Cordell, Social Scientist
- Ph.D., North Carolina State University
- USDA Forest Service Scientist
- A social scientist studies people's values, opinions, beliefs, and attitudes (VOBAs). The social sciences include economics, anthropology, and a number of other disciplines, each of which has its own background and approaches to studying VOBAs.
- Ph.D., North Carolina State University
- USDA Forest Service Scientist
- A social scientist studies people's values, opinions, beliefs, and attitudes (VOBAs). The social sciences include economics, anthropology, and a number of other disciplines, each of which has its own background and approaches to studying VOBAs.
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Melody Keena, Entomologist
- Ph.D., University of California at Davis
- USDA Forest Service Scientist
- An entomologist studies insects and their interactions with other organisms and the environment.
- Ph.D., University of California at Davis
- USDA Forest Service Scientist
- An entomologist studies insects and their interactions with other organisms and the environment.
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Therese M. Poland, Research Entomologist
- Ph.D., Simon Fraser University
- USDA Forest Service Scientist
- An entomologist studies insects including their biology, ecology, behavior, population dynamics, host interactions, communication, and impacts on the environment.
- Ph.D., Simon Fraser University
- USDA Forest Service Scientist
- An entomologist studies insects including their biology, ecology, behavior, population dynamics, host interactions, communication, and impacts on the environment.
