Invasive Species in Iowa's Forests

This video shows Oriental (or Asiatic) bittersweet, a vine-like plant that grows around trees. Asiatic bittersweet is an invasive plant in Iowa. Conservationists are working on solutions to control the spread of this plant and the damage it can do it native plants.

Video

Dundee

Iowa Core Standard

HS-LS2-7

Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity

Driving Question

How can we prevent invasive plant species from harming native plants?

Probing Questions

How do invasive species impact the environment?
How and why do invasive species spread?

Classroom Suggestions

Students could:

Research, compare and contrast different invasive species in Iowa, including how they reached Iowa, how they spread and how Iowa's environment is conducive to their spread.
Model how invasive species spread.
Investigate common invasive species in your area and how they are managed.
Analyze invasive species management programs, including their costs and benefits.
Analyze data on how invasive species have displaced native species.

Resources

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Iowa | Invasive Species: More technical resources for teacher background.
Iowa State University Extension | Invasive Species in Iowa: User-friendly profiles of plant invasives.
Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) | Invasive Plant Species: User-friendly PDF fact sheets of plant invasives.
USDA National Invasive Species Information Center | Iowa Spotlights: A more technical article about invasive animal species, as well as plants.

Contributors

Media produced for Iowa Outdoors by Iowa PBS.
Submitted by Dan Voss and Madison Beeler as part of their Iowa STEM Teacher Externship experience at Iowa PBS.