Species Invasions in Freshwater Ecosystems

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Freshwater ecosystems have a long history of non-native species invasions and are particularly susceptible to their impacts. This is in part because of intensive human use and ecological degradation of such ecosystems but also because the landscape characteristics of rivers and lakes – particularly hydrological connectivity – can facilitate invasions. These factors can also hinder attempts to control non-native and invasive species once they have been introduced. This chapter provides a background to freshwater ecosystem invasions before examining how landscape position and connectivity relate to species invasions. It then gives an overview of impacts resulting from freshwater ecosystem invasions and summarises some of the key forms of non-native control utilised in rivers and lakes. The chapter concludes by highlighting key areas of future research and investigation in relation to species invasions in freshwater ecosystems.