Historical Ecology, Invasive Species & Long-Term Change

Historical ecology

study of past ecosystems to understand long-term ecological change

Shifting baselines

phenomenon where each generation accepts degraded ecosystems as normal

Fisheries-dependent data

data collected from fishing activities such as landings and logbooks

Fisheries-independent data

data collected by scientific surveys independent of fishing

Paleontological data

fossil or sediment records used to reconstruct ancient ecosystems

Archaeological data

remains showing past human use of species

Historical records

written documents describing past ecosystems

Commercial records

harvest records from markets or industries

Anecdotal data

observations or oral histories used when data are limited

Genetic data

DNA evidence used to infer past population size or bottlenecks

Temporal comparison

comparison of past and present ecosystem conditions

Time series

long-term dataset tracking changes over time

Hindcasting

reconstructing past conditions using models

Space-for-time substitution

using low-impact sites as proxies for past conditions

Invasive species

non-native species that establishes, spreads, and causes harm

Vector

pathway by which invasive species are introduced

Ballast water

water carried by ships that transports organisms

Hull fouling

organisms attached to ship hulls

Biocontrol

use of predators or parasites to manage invasive species