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How invasive species affect ecosystems
The impact of invasive species on ecosystems
The importance of invasive species
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The term invasive species is described as a species that is introduced into an area in which it is not native. This species has the potential to cause a negative effect to the native species and other biotic factors in those surroundings (Invasive Species, n.d). Any kind of living organism can be a potential invasive species, including the seeds and eggs of an organism (Invasive Species, n.d). These species can be brought into an area any number of ways but are usually a result of human activity (Invasive Species, n.d). Although, it has been discovered that protected areas can be impacted by invasive species, possibly more so than non-protected areas (Hoopes et al., 2013). In the paper written by M. C. Jackson (2015), the main focus is on …show more content…
Their findings contributed to a further explanation of the definition of an invasive species. It was concluded that invasive species are detrimental to the environment that they are invading. Jackson (2015) mentioned that negative relationships among invaders are a particular concern since it is possible that both of the invasive species would need to be controlled in order for an area to rebound after invasion. Hoopes et al. (2013) concluded that native species on island refuges are more likely to be come extinct during an invasion compared to those of mainland refuges. These results also help to confirm the importance of understanding invasive species from a conservation point of view since invasive species are a major threat to native populations in their …show more content…
Jackson (2015) mentioned that the findings in their analyses were very generic and that more research needed to be conducted to fully understand the interactions of invasive species and the effects invasive species have on various environments. It was also suggested that there should be more research conducted outside of the United States since 43% of the papers used in this study completed their research within the United States (Jackson, 2015). Hoopes et al. (2013) mentioned several limitations to their research as well. There was missing data for a large number of refuges which caused an issue when looking at trends and patterns within the data. Also, as the data was collected from numerous undergraduate students across the United States, there was some error due to compiling and entering data incorrectly. Lastly, land-history was not considered in this study which could have an effect on the end
Invasive species as a whole have become a nuisance to many habitats and ecosystems around the world. What defines an invasive species is the following. It must be a species that is foreign to the habitat it resides in, have no natural predators which allow it to reproduce in such a rapid manner, and out compete native animals of food and shelter (Rosenthal 2011). These characteristics are what create such high populations of these invasive species in various habitats around the globe.
The piece I chose to do my literary analysis on was the article, The Truth About Invasive Species, written by Alan Burdick. The article states that invasive species are all around us, but the area with the most prominent amount is the suburbs of Miami. It goes into detail about how abundant invasive species are in this area. Most people who would see a strange animal in their lawn or area would be bemused, however for the people of Southern Florida, this is a recurring scene. Burdick states that “virtually everyone in the South Florida, including Hardwick, has a neighbor with a backyard menagerie of lucrative critters on hold for resale”. Burdick describes both how an invasive species is introduced into an ecosystem, and the impact the have on other species upon their arrival.
Nonnative species can also be called alien, exotic, or nonindigenous. Their presence is due to humans dispersing them to other locations beside their native habitat, or by humans creating environmental conditions that allow their growth. When nonnative species begin to take over a new habitat and displace native species, they are then termed an invasive species. Nonnative invasive species are one of the biggest threats to ecosystems in North America (Cox, 1999) because they are able to have an impact on many levels, including ecosystems, communities, and populations (Cushman, Tierney, & Hinds, 2004).
An introduced species is a species living outside its native distributional range, which has arrived there by human activity, either deliberate or accidental.
Niskern, Diana. Invasive species. Washington, D.C. (101 Independence Ave., S.E.): Science Reference Section, Science, Technology, and Business Division, Library of Congress, 2004.
Some introduced species become a small part of the landscape, while others thrive at the expense of native plants and wildlife. When an introduced species puts additional stresses on native wildlife and threatens habitats, it's called an invasive species. Invasive exotic (nonnative) species are seriously threatening the integrity of south Florida's native communities. With exotic fishes devouring native fish species and melaleuca trees shading out indigenous plants, the Florida Everglades is suffering from a barrage of pressures brought on by nonnative species. Far from their native homelands, these invaders have a competitive advantage over native species. Because nonnative species typically lack natural predators, they can outcompete native species. They can multiply unchecked, using up valuable resources such as sunlight, water, and nutrients. Native species suffer from this intense competition. In addition to the environmental havoc they wreak, invasive exotic species have major economic impacts. This economic effect is magnified in Florida where the climate and landscape are favorable to the establishment of invasives. Despite best efforts, many of these alien invaders are here to stay. Their spread, however, may be controlled by putting a stop to the release of non-native plants and animals into the wild and by aggressively managing species that are
Invasive species often desecrate ecosystems, wreaking havoc in crucial, distinctive ecosystems such as the Mojave Desert, known for its exclusive wildlife. Not much is done about the many types of invasive plants that plague the Mojave Desert and the number of known invasive species of plants that affect the Mojave Desert is over one hundred (“Invasive Plants”). Invasive species of plants create many diverse issues in the ecosystem of the Mojave Desert such as being incompatible with local animal species, outcompeting local vegetation, and providing fuel for fires, increasing their frequency, that rage across the landscape, damaging the fragile desert ecosystem.
A particular ecosystem is home to a number of species and as these begin to go into a rapid decline following the loss of their habitat, a more aggressive species might take the opportunity and move in. Interviewer Brian Todd said- ‘‘ Growing pressure to develop public lands for renewable energy production places several protected species at increased risk of habitat loss. One example is the Mojave desert tortoise, a species often at the center of conflicts over public land development. For this species and others on public lands, a better understanding of their habitat needs can help minimize negative impacts and facilitate protection or restoration of habitat. We used radio-telemetry to track 46 neonate and juvenile tortoises in the Eastern Mojave Desert, California, USA, to quantify habitat at tortoise locations and paired random points to assess habitat selection. Tortoise locations near burrows were more likely to be under canopy cover and had greater coverage of perennial plants, more coverage by washes, a greater number of small-mammal burrows, and fewer white bursage than random points. Active tortoise locations away from burrows were closer to washes and perennial
Influence on ecosystems range from human causes like the bulldozing of a forest to natural causes like a fire or a flood. In recent times, the introduction and spread of invasive species has transformed native communities rapidly and, in some cases, created irreversible damages. In the Earth’s history, changes have often occurred in the ecosystems. For example, glaciers and the retreat of glaciers cause wide-spread changes. However, although change is a constant in ecosystems, animals and habitats often cannot adapt to the rapid alterations of non-natural stresses. Harm to the environment from the introduction of invasive species occurs through changes in the habitat and declines in the native species. Invasive species can make changes in a habitat’s physical structure, hydrology and salinity, productivity, energy flow, and fire cycle. Declines in biodiversity occur through competition, disruption of the food web, and genetic hybridization. These habitat and species modifications could create an irreversible shift in the ecosystem, creating an altered, stable state.
If invasive species take over all of the other species in the area, they could gain a mentality that they are better than us humans. This could harm many people. All because one person brought that animal home as a pet and released it. Humans then at are risk from them. These invasive species have a I’m-going-to-take-over-all-animals-and-animals vibe. (HM) While they may not take over humanity, they can injure us easily. If many people are attacked and need to be hospitalized, that takes up room for people that need to be there for car accidents, gun wounds, and much more. Obviously, any invasive species can kill someone. That would be
Invasive species are organisms not native to an environment that cause harm. Invasive species typically disrupt the balance of the ecosystem. This species grows, reproduces, or spreads quickly. If an invasive species is introduced to an environment, then it would result in a trophic cascade because it would disrupt various levels of the food chain.
Non-native species is a term commonly used to refer to plants and animals introduced to a foreign environment mostly by humanity either intentionally or accidentally.. Such exotic invaders die because they cannot adjust to the introduced ecosystem, which implies they entail domestication. However, some thrive to the extent of dominating their new ecosystem by spreading quickly and widely. These kinds of invaders do not have their native predators and with time take over the ecosystem from native species (David and Sweeney 53). The term invasive can refer to introduced species and diseases as well. Approximately 50,000 non-native species have been introduced in the US up to date. Non -native species can be referred to as invasive if it poses danger to the ecological systems. Introduced species that need to be taken care of by humans in order to thrive are known as ornamental plants. Other than human activities, non-native species can be introduced through climatic change due to natural selection whereby new organisms that can survive are established. Continental drift is another factor known to contribute to the presence of non-native species. However, these are slow processes and the most common is human activity. During past centuries, immigration has taken place globally man relocating to extremely far destinations whereby his movements yielded to the transportation of plants as well as other organisms to completely new environments away from their native ecosystem. To protect these ecosystems, native species and the economy of US, respective authorities have devised regulatory measures meant to control the introduction of new foreign species by humans. Invasive species encounter extremely strict measures imposed on them despite...
There are no exact accepted characteristics of an invasive species however, there are qualities shared among them. These include the ability to grow fast, a tolerance to a wide array of habitats, dispersal of large numbers of small seeds, rapid germination periods, high resource productivity and the ability to compete with surrounding species. Invasive species are known to have a detrimental effect on the evolution of neighboring plant species within an ecosystem (Whitney and Gabler 2008, Webster et al. 2006). For an invasive species to become dominant it must be a greater competitor than the native species and have no predators in the environment (Thompson et al. 2009).
Invasive species, (also known as invasive alien species or simply alien species) are defined as any organism (plant, animal, pathogen, or other living thing) that is alien (non-native) to an ecosystem, which can cause adverse economical, ecological, or health effects to native species and/or humans. The roots of these problems all stem from the massive negative ecological impact these organisms are having on the environment (CBD, 2009). For all animal extinctions where the cause is known since the 1600’s, invasive alien species have been a contributing factor 40% of the time (CBD, 2006); the second most contributing factor to extinctions after loss of habitat (GC, 2013). By eliminating native species through competition for resources, predation, and transmittal of disease, invasive species continue to reduce biodiversity in almost all ecosystems around the world (CBD, 2009). In the future, this problem may worsen, and if no action is taken, could lead to a cascading ecological problem so large that whole communities or even ecosystems could collapse.
One of the big causes of extinction or the endangerment of species is foreign species entering a habitat. This species that are not native to the land can disrupt the food web in that community. These species take control of the food web and endanger some of the other species. The native species become endangered and over the course of many years they either adapt to their new way or life, the foreign predator leaves or is killed off due to the different environment, or the species is killed off and becomes extinct. Organizations like the “World Wild Li...