Introducing Dr. David Lodge

For those of you planning on attending the Annual General Meeting in Victoria next, we're looking forward to seeing you. For those of you still undecided, perhaps an introduction to Dr. David Lodge, a speaker at this year's conference, could get you there.

David M. Lodge is a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, Director of the Center for Aquatic Conservation an Director of the new Environmental Change Initiative at the University of Notre Dame. His research focuses on ecosystem services and ecological forecasting to better inform environmental risk analysis and management. Dr. Lodge completed his D.Phil. at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, is an Aldo Leopold Leadership Fellow, and was the first chair of the US national Invasive Species Advisory Committee.

The AGM Abstract: AIS: Problems and Solutions, Science and Management

After two decades of increased research on invasive species, both scientists and natural resource managers have a much better understanding of causes and consequences of invasions than a generation ago. As a reflection of a broader shift within ecology and other biological disciplines, the most recent research has been more applied than earlier research. Thus, not only has our understanding of invasions increased, but we also now have more concepts and tools potentially useful to prevent and manage invasions. I will argue, however, that many policies have not kept pace with the scientific capacity of improved management. Continued consequences include unnecessary new invasions, expansion of existing invasions, and permanent loss of ecosystem services. I will review advances in understanding for each stage of invasion (pathway, introduction, establishment, spread, impact) and policies and management steps that could decrease the probability of invasion success at each invasion step. I will emphasize the role of recent and on-going research in identifying better and more cost effective alternative management strategies including improved surveillance technologies (e.g. eDNA), management of propagule pressure, trait based species screening, and bioeconomic analysis to improve cost effectiveness at every management step.

For more information about Dr. Lodge and his efforts to better understand and prevent AIS, visit the following sites:

University of Notre Dame Center for Aquatic Conservation

Lodge Lab

Dr. Lodge's recent book Bioeconomics of Invasive Species: Integrating, Ecology, Economics, Policy and Management is available for review and purchase here.