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An essay on invasive species
An essay on invasive species
An essay on invasive species
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Nina Halsted Invasive Species Case Study ESS 211 4/24/2017 Channa Argus; An Invasive Species The Channa Argus, also known as the Northern Snakehead, is currently an invasive species in parts of the United States. Its native range includes Korea, China, and Russia; specifically, the Amur River Basin. They primarily live in fresh aquatic water sources and thrive in the northern hemisphere due to the colder temperatures. They are commonly referred to as snakeheads because of their slim bodies and scaly head features (Fuller et al 2017). There are several different theories regarding how they were introduced into the United States. One suggests that they were introduced by fish owners who improperly and illegally disposed of their unwanted fish
This can get expensive and unsanitary. These non-venomous snakes are tricky to care for and often illegally released into the wild. This dumping, importation for the exotic pet trade, and escaped snakes from Hurricane Andrew is resulting in an established wild population of Burmese pythons in South Florida. II. Facts Native to the jungles and to the grassy marshes of Southeast Asia, the Burmese pythons are said to have been first reported in the Everglades in 2000.
First of all, The snakes are destroying the ecosystem. According to, Burmese Python Not the Ideal Pet, " With no natural predators, these eating machines appear to be wiping out huge numbers of opossums, raccoons, and bobcats, as well as many bird species." This evidence shows that the pythons are eating and destroying all of these animals leading to early extinction which can affect all of the other species that rely on those animals the pythons are eating. Burmese python Not The Ideal Pet also states, "Tens of thousands of Burmese pythons are estimated to be living in the Everglades" This shows that thousands of snakes living on the everglades are destroying these poor animals that don’t deserve this.
Unable to handle their giant snakes, and unable to find new homes for them, some owners illegally release them into the wild. They are also an invasive species, which means that they are not constrained by natural factors as much as they were in their native habitat. Invasive species have the potential to harm their new environments. The release of Burmese pythons in South Florida is especially troublesome because the subtropical climate and the vast undisturbed habitats of the Everglades enable the species to thrive.
When settlers first came to America, lobster was considered a poor man’s food. The lobsters were so abundant at that time that many people felt that they were competing with them for space on the shore. The settlers felt that the lobster had no nutritional value. At that time both Native Americans and settlers used the lobster as fertilizer for their fields and as bait to catch other fish. Lobster was so disdained that it was given to prisoners, indentured servants, and children. This was such a common practice that in Massachusetts many servants and prisoners had it put into their contract that they could not be fed lobster more than two times a week.
This invasive species originates from Southeast Asia. This mosquito has made its way to Africa, the Middle East, Europe and North and South America as an invasive species. The Asian Tiger Mosquito was introduced into the United States accidentally from tires imported from Asia. The islands of Torres Straight have numerous reports of this mosquito also. This invasive species was introduced into the United States, probably Houston, Texas, from Japan in 1985. The constant trade of used tires throughout the U.S. allowed the Asian Tiger Mosquito to disperse across America.
Known as Pterois Volitans in the animal kingdom, also called the red lionfish, is a sight to behold in the tropical waters as they swim like an underwater butterfly in the sea. In waters not native to their origin, as they are from the Pacific and have predators that will have them for a snack. Invasive to the Caribbean Sea they have rapidly reached the Gulf of Mexico and far south, spreading to parts of South America. The lionfish has become a persistent pest that’s more trouble than what it appears to be, attractive yet deceptive with a striking pattern of white and red stripes. In the New York Times article, A Call to Action… and Even Rodeos, scientists say that, “from 2005 onward, lionfish have become the most numerous nonnative invasive species in the world.” The average pound fish is one of nature’s clever creations, a venomous foe with spines and an infinite appetite that reproduce quickly. Invasive species are notorious because they have no or almost nonexistent natural predators and they are adapt to their new home very well. The biological adaptations of this fish has caused both ecological and economical mayhem, serious measures have been taken up to control their population as well as to protect our coral reefs.
The invasive species, the Burmese Python has done irreparable damage to the Everglades National Park in Florida. A steady decline in mammals has been observed since the introduction of Burmese pythons occurred. Burmese pythons were first introduced into the United States as part of the pet trade which then led to the escape or intentional release out into the wild. The first notation of these species arriving was in the year 2000. However, within just eleven years this invasive species had done such a large amount of damage to Florida’s Ecosystem that many species had gone almost completely extinct.
came from the Italians. Their new flavor and pasta dishes won the country over and is
"'Wonder Fish' Turns into Environmental Piranha: The Battle Against Asian Carp." Cleveland.com. N.p., 23 Oct. 2011. Web. 9 May 2014.
Parry, Wynne. (Sept. 23Rd , 2011) Exotic Pets Turning Invasive, Threatning Florida. Tech Media. Retrieved March 10th 2014, from http://www.livescience.com/16204-florida-invasive-reptiles-amphibians.html
The Everglades provides a healthy ecosystem for plants and animals but it has predators that endanger the wildlife that live there. Exotic pet owners often dump their invasive pet snakes that don’t normally have a habitat
Niskern, Diana. Invasive species. Washington, D.C. (101 Independence Ave., S.E.): Science Reference Section, Science, Technology, and Business Division, Library of Congress, 2004.
British Columbia is the fourth largest aquaculture producer in the world. The province and everywhere else that loves seafood relies on the production of aquaculture. However, many do not know what they get when the glory of farming fish comes with. Salmon is one the most common fish and British Columbia wanted to make sure that who ever wanted it could get tons of it. While global warming has been driving wild salmon stocks up north, British Columbia came up with their own solution, Aquaculture. It was the perfect thing due to the fact, British Columbia has 20,000km of coastlines and 25,000 lakes and many rives and streams to raise fish. This became an advantage to fish farmers and aquaculture heads because the plentiful water allowed them to raise wish in any body of water. The economic benefits came pouring in as fish farmer could grow many fish all year round and have control of it. The salmon in these farms are raised in pens, just like you would see animals on a farm on land. B.C’s fairly clean waters, sparse population and accessibility to roads makes it well suitable for the fish to be raised from hatchlings to harvest. The net pens that held the salmon year round were limited to small spaces, developing some major issues in the ocean’s health and human health. Many have blamed farmed salmon for the sea lice. Sea lice have been depleting lives of many wild salmon as farmed salmon are allowed to escape from their nets into the ocean. Allowing the possible spread of sea lice. Sea lice are crustacean parasites that attach onto both farmed and wild salmon. These parasites do not kill the fish, however they drain the resources the fish need to survive and decrease their ability of swimming. The sea lice also create open abrasio...
When the fish arrived, Mather took them to a fish nursery at Long Island’s Cold Spring Harbor. Some were allowed to develop into fry, others were dispatched to hatcheries in Caledonia, New York, and still others to the U.S. Fish Commission station in Northville, Michigan. These fish and their progeny -- reinforced with shipments from Germany, England and Scotland -- were released into the rivers of their adoptive homeland and were soon thriving in streams from New England to the Rockies. They spawned, they grew fat, they ate their young, and, yes, they did exactly as predicted — they pushed aside the native brook trout of the East. Brown trout grew bigger and more violent than brook trout, were adapted to warmer water, and were fiercely territorial, sending their native cousins scooting upstream in search of a new place to call home stream home.
Like the approach that is being taken in Yellowstone. The officials there are going to remove the native fish from the streams, then put a poison called rotenone, to kill all of the invaders. A park in Utah is having a similar problem, but is taking a different approach to remove the invaders. In Red Hills Desert Garden, they will remove the native fish, like in Yellowstone, but instead of poisoning the fish, they will simply drain the water from the streams, letting the remaining invasive fish dry up. Another way to remove fish is introduce new species that can eat them and control them more. This is the case in many Mississippi connected bodies of water. The asian carp have taken over many parts of the Mississippi and a few of the great lakes. In an attempt to control this very invasive fish, the government has began to introduce the alligator gar. The massive, 8 foot, 300 pound fish, are expected to eat many of the rapidly reproducing asian carp. Going back to the brown tree snake, “The federal government is preparing to drop dead mice laced with a snake toxicant into the jungles of Guam in the latest effort to control the thousands of brown tree snakes that have invaded the Pacific island.” (Entertainment News Service). The mice will have streamers attached to catch on trees and will be laced with 80 mg of acetaminophen, which