Ecosystem Invasion Management

An invasion curve connects the size and spread of an invasive population to the response that is still practical. Prevention applies before arrival through biosecurity and pathway screening. Eradication is feasible after early detection while the population is small. Containment slows spread while the invasion is still regionally bounded. Control is long-term suppression after the invader is widespread. Moving to the right on the curve makes management more difficult and expensive.

Use the representative Great Lakes zebra mussel series to connect data to the invasion curve. From 1988 to 2000, density rises from 5 to 700,000 individuals per square meter, the control budget rises from $0.5 million to $300 million, and native richness loss rises from 0% to 60%. Classify the management phase by comparing the population pattern with the four phase definitions, not by relying on the year alone.