Naslov
Conceptual framework of an individual-based model of the signal crayfish, Pacifastacus leniusculus

Autori
Galić, Nika ; Hudina, Sandra

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, znanstveni

Izvornik
6th Neobiota conference - Book of abstracts / Kollman, Johannes ; Mölken, Tamara ; Ravn, Hans Peter - : University of Copenhagen, Department of Agriculture and Ecology, 2010, 167-167

ISBN
978-87-993976-0-0

Skup
6th Neobiota conference

Mjesto i datum
Kopenhagen, Danska, 14.09.2010. - 17.09.2010

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Poster

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
invasive crayfish; individual-based modelling; management

Sažetak
Invasive alien species of crayfish have been globally recognized as strong drivers of freshwater ecosystem change as they are important components of freshwater food webs, both in terms of biomass and ecosystem functioning. Their populations, once established in new habitats, are known for both their aggressiveness towards native species, impact on the environment and for their notoriously difficult, even impossible, eradication. The Signal crayfish, Pacifastacus leniusculus, is one of those invasive species ; it has a relatively complex life-cycle that includes home ranges and shelter possession, with individual inclined to establishing dominance orders in local populations. Currently, a lot of research is performed on understanding their impact and consequences on new ecosystems and investigating measures of population control. Population models, as tools, have proven to be very useful in assessing risks to the environment and testing possible mitigation or risk-reduction measures. Their major advantage is a relatively straightforward integration of various ecological concepts and processes, such as species specific life-history traits and explicit landscape characteristics, allowing extensive scenario testing without accompanying high costs of additional experimental setup before any measures are applied in the field. Here, we present a conceptual framework of an individual-based model of a Signal crayfish population. Individual-based models (IBMs) are population models in which each individual is considered unique and is followed throughout its lifetime, in a sort of a book-keeping process. Population dynamics arise from interactions between individuals and their environment. The model is developed for a general Signal crayfish life-cycle, and is flexible enough to include region specific parameters (if necessary). A lot of ecological data on the species is already available and will be used for parameterisation, calibration and, finally, validation of the model. Some of the questions, that the model will be used for answering, include:  How does territoriality affect spatial and size structure of the local population?  How does current management affect populations of this invasive species in the long run?  How does territoriality affect the success of current and prospective management strategies?  Can prospective management strategies be tailored according to the life-history of the species, e.g. focusing efforts on certain sizes or on certain periods of the year? A simple cost-benefit analysis of various strategies will also be performed.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Biologija

POVEZANOST RADA