Presentation Instructions & Suggested Outline
Invasion Ecology (NRC 597NV)
1. Length
All presentations should be no longer than 10 minutes (**NOTE: This is shorter than noted on
the original syllabus I handed out). At 10 minutes, I will ask you to wrap up and conclude. If you
do not get through all of your materials, your presentation grade will suffer. Use your teams to
help you PRACTICE ahead of time. Hint: memorize what you’ll say for the first slide –
uncertainty about how to begin is the biggest time killer.
If your presentation is going long, take material out (do not talk faster). Better to make a few
points well rather than many points poorly. My default recommendation is no more than one
slide per minute (10 slides max).
2. Questions
Each team will have 2 minutes to answer questions at the end of his/her presentation. Anyone
who asks a question during this time period will receive a bonus point on his/her presentation
grade (max of 2 points).
3. Format & Logistics
Presentations should be written in powerpoint. Please make sure that your presentation
displays correctly on a PC – my laptop runs Windows. Powerpoint files must be emailed to me
(bbradley@eco.umass.edu or bethany.bradley@gmail.com if the file is >10 MB) by 10 am on the
day of the presentation.
4. Presentation style
Using cue cards will not affect your presentation grade. However, I encourage you to try not to
use any sort of prompts. Do not read your presentation from a piece of paper – this can cause a
stilted and distracting speech pattern which will adversely affect your presentation grade.
I personally do not find bulleted lists of texts to be effective communication tools. I recommend
using text to underscore important points, but to use charts, tables, graphs and images to
communicate your overall message.
Invasive species prevention & management
Assignment: Lobby congress for funds to combat invasive species
Suggested outline for team presentation 5:
1. Introduction
 How would you stop transport & introduction of new non-native species from your
taxonomic group?
 What policies would be required to reduce novel introductions and what industries
would be affected?
2. Establishment & Spread
 How effective are invasion risk assessments likely to be for your taxonomic group?
 How would you reduce establishment and spread?
3. Impact
 Once an invasive species from your taxonomic group has become problematic,
management options are available to reduce its impact?
 How feasible is ecological restoration if invasive species are controlled?
4. Take home point: Convince congress to allocate resources to prevent invasion from your
taxonomic group.
Use example species from your taxonomic group as appropriate through the talk
Use information from your previous presentation as appropriate to support your arguments
Your team will have to locate literature on risk assessment, prevention and management for your target
taxonomic group to support your presentation of management options.
Everyone will vote for the taxonomic group they wish to fund at the end of the presentations. The
winning team will receive a prize.
You may use any tactics you want to persuade your classmates to fund your team, but you may not
present any information that is factually misleading or incorrect.