This document discusses the importance of biosecurity practices to reduce the spread of invasive alien species through various pathways. It provides examples of harmful invasive species and their impacts. Research and fieldwork are highlighted as major pathways that can transport invasive species unintentionally. The document advocates for raising awareness of biosecurity protocols like check, clean, and dry among researchers and other sectors. Embedding biosecurity training across universities and research institutes is suggested to help reduce the spread and costs of invasive species to the environment.

1. Fieldwork learning – Raising awareness and
embedding good biosecurity to reduce the
spread of Invasive Alien Species
Alison M. Dunn

2. Invasive Alien Species
Animals and plants that are
introduced accidentally or
deliberately into a natural
environment where they are
not normally found, with
serious negative consequences
for their new environment.
Damage to the environment,
the economy, our health and
the way we live.

3. Invasive Alien Species
• Cost
–EU €12-20bn per year
–UK 1.7bn per year
– Invasive Alien Species (IAS)
– Invasive Non Native Species
– synonymous

4. Hydrocotyle ranunculoides Floating Pennywort
Biodiversity, flood risk

5. Dreissena polymorpha
Zebra mussel
Water supply, industry

6. Fallopia japonica, Japanese knotweed
Economic (infrastructure)

7. Vespa velutina nigrithorax Asian hornet
Economic & ecological- loss of pollinators

8. Mustela vison American Mink
Ecological

10. Heracleum mantegazzianum
Giant Hogweed- human helath
USDA APHIS PPQ Archive, USDA APHIS PPQ, Bugwood.orgR Annan Trust

11. Hymenoscyphus fraxineus
Plant health-Ash die back
Andrew Curtis

12. Chytridiomycosis
animal health, amphibian declines
• The impact of
chytridiomycosis
on frogs is the
most spectacular
loss of vertebrate
biodiversity due
to disease in
recorded history.
...
Skerratt et al
2007. EcoHealth
4, 125–134, 2007

13. Field work- Why should we worry
about invasive alien species?

14. Translocation Introduction Establishment Invasion
Process of invasion
Hatcher et al 2012 Functional Ecology

15. Translocation Introduction Establishment Invasion
anthropogenic anthropogenicecology & evolution
anthropogenic anthropogenicecology & evolution

16. Translocation Introduction Establishment Invasion
Biosecurity Biosecurity
Biosecurity Biosecurity

17. Biosecurity central to policy for
invasive species and disease control
EU IAS legislation 2015:
requires member states to
control priority alien invasive
species and pathways for
invasion
Regulation (EU) 1143/2014
on invasive alien species
Water Framework Directive

18. Pathways for invasion-
Who or what can spread Invasive Alien Species
• IAS can be unintentionally spread by a range
of activities including
• Transport
• Trade
• Recreation
• Environment management
• Research, field work

19. Clothing, equipment

20. Transport

21. Research & conservation

22. Recreation

23. Biosecurity risk; movement between sites
• UK researchers:
sites visited/week
• 1-2 (n=38 59%)
• 3-4 (n=16 25%)
• >4 (n=11 17%)
UK Anglers
64% of anglers visited 2 or
more catchments within 14
days (N=960)
Shannon et al
Anderson et al 2014 Plos one

24. bloody red shrimp (Hemimysis anomala)
killer shrimp (Dikerogammarus villosus)
zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha)
parrot’s feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum
curly water-thyme (Lagarosiphon major
floating pennywort (Hydrocotyle ranunculoides)
Australian stone crop (Crassula helmsii)
Anderson et al. 2015 Biol Invasions
Photos GB NNSS
• Survival of IAS hitchikers
Dry only Control
Dry only Control
Dry only Control
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
Hot water Hot water & dry Dry only Control
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
Hot water Hot water & dry Dry only Control
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
Hot water Hot water & dry Dry only Control
proportionsurviving
1 hour
1 day
16 days
1 hour
1 day
16 days

25. What is biosecurity?
• Any action which reduces the chance of the
introduction or spread of IAS.

26. • Biosecurity – check, clean, dry; best practice

27. DRYING does kill invaders But tap HOT WATER is
more effective and
quicker where feasible
10 mins at 50C is
effective at killing
most INNS propagules
• Biosecurity – check, clean, dry; best practice
100% mortality killer shrimp parrots feather
70-90% mortality Dikerogammarus villosus Myriophyllum aquaticum
<70% mortality
0.6 1 5 10 15 0.6 1 5 10 15
40 100 100 100 100 100 40 0 10 10 0 15
45 100 100 100 100 100 45 0 30 55 55 40
Temperature (°C) 50 100 100 100 100 100 50 0 95 100 100 100
55 100 100 100 100 100 55 5 100 100 100 100
60 100 100 100 100 100 60 100 100 100 100 100
zebra mussel Australian stonecrop
Dreissena polymorpha Crassula helmsii
0.6 1 5 10 15 0.6 1 5 10 15
40 100 100 100 100 100 40 5 0 10 0 0
45 100 100 100 100 100 45 5 0 60 50 100
Temperature (°C) 50 100 100 100 100 100 50 15 70 100 90 100
55 100 100 100 100 100 55 70 100 100 100 100
60 100 100 100 100 100 60 100 100 100 100 100
Time (minutes)
Time (minutes)
Time (minutes)
Time (minutes)

28. bloody red shrimp (Hemimysis anomala)
killer shrimp (Dikerogammarus villosus)
zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha)
parrot’s feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum
curly water-thyme (Lagarosiphon major
floating pennywort (Hydrocotyle ranunculoides)
Australian stone crop (Crassula helmsii)
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
Hot water Hot water & dry Dry only Control
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
Hot water Hot water & dry Dry only Control
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
Hot water Hot water & dry Dry only Control
proportionsurviving
1 hour
1 day
16 days
Anderson et al. 2015 Biol Invasions
• Biosecurity – check, clean, dry; best practice

29. • Biosecurity – check, clean, dry; best practice
100% mortality killer shrimp parrots feather
70-90% mortality Dikerogammarus villosus Myriophyllum aquaticum
<70% mortality
0.6 1 5 10 15 0.6 1 5 10 15
40 100 100 100 100 100 40 0 10 10 0 15
45 100 100 100 100 100 45 0 30 55 55 40
Temperature (°C) 50 100 100 100 100 100 50 0 95 100 100 100
55 100 100 100 100 100 55 5 100 100 100 100
60 100 100 100 100 100 60 100 100 100 100 100
zebra mussel Australian stonecrop
Dreissena polymorpha Crassula helmsii
0.6 1 5 10 15 0.6 1 5 10 15
40 100 100 100 100 100 40 5 0 10 0 0
45 100 100 100 100 100 45 5 0 60 50 100
Temperature (°C) 50 100 100 100 100 100 50 15 70 100 90 100
55 100 100 100 100 100 55 70 100 100 100 100
60 100 100 100 100 100 60 100 100 100 100 100
Time (minutes)
Time (minutes)
Time (minutes)
Time (minutes)
Shannon et al

30. • Biosecurity – check, clean, dry; best practice
Jonn Leffmann [CC BY 3.0
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia
Commons

31. • How do we raise awareness?
• How do we engage various sectors?
• How do we institute behavioural change?
Biosecurity awareness & action
Fieldwork learning

32. Embed
biosecurity
across research
institutes and
universities
trained researchers in :
government, charities,
education, conservation.
Industry, research
ENVIRONMENT: reduction in the spread and
impact of Invasive Alien Species & diseases.
Reduction in the cost of mitigation
Fieldwork
learning-an
opportunity to raise
awareness and
embed good
biosecurity

33. a.dunn@leeds.ac.uk
C.F.Shannon1@leeds.ac.uk
Online training for researchers.
Blackboard Open Learn
https://openeducation.blackboard.com/mooc-
catalog/courseDetails/view?course_id=_1189_1

34. https://openeducation.blackboard.com/mooc-
catalog/courseDetails/view?course_id=_1189_1