Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
How invasive species affect the biosphere
Consequences of introduceing foreign species in a local ecosystem
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: How invasive species affect the biosphere
Sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus
It is not known about how the sea lamprey was introduced into the great lakes region. It was first discovered in around 1830s. It is hypothesized that it was introduced in the Erie Canal as well as other shipping canals years prior to its discovery. Originally it was a salt-water creature that lived in the oceans but now they have adapted and can live in fresh water and can live comfortably in the great lakes and other fresh water rivers and streams.
It is probably impossible to completely exterminate the sea lampreys form the great lakes. However, efforts have been made to control the population of these pests by selectively hunting the sea lampreys, this lead to approximately 90% of the lampreys to be killed (Sea Lamprey, n.d.).
Impact on Environment Sea Lampreys feed off fish by puncturing its skin and drinking the bodily fluids of the host organism. Their prey
…show more content…
Because invasive species are species that are not native to the habitat who threaten the environment, these precautions will help to ensure that you do not bring invasive species into foreign lands. Before you buy any plants for your garden, be sure that you make sure that you don’t buy any plants that are invasive; be sure to research before purchasing to buy non-invasive plants instead. Also, if you have a boat be sure to clean it before transporting it into different bodies of water to prevent non-native species from entering that new body of water. You should also make sure to clean your shoes if before you hike in different ecosystems to stop the spread of seeds and pathogens. You also shouldn’t pack food that may have insects in it or packing firewood because firewood has a good chance of harbouring invasive species. Finally, you should never release exotic animals or animals such as aquarium fish into the wild because they may become an invasive species to that
One species in particular, the Round Goby (Neogobious Melanostomus), is particularly harmful. This is a freshwater fish that originated from the Europe and Asia area, mostly residing in the Caspian and Black seas. The round goby was most likely introduced into this area by accident. It was brought over by ships traveling in the ocean to the Great lakes region. The first big outbreak of the round goby was found in Lake Michigan, with large amounts now found in Lakes Huron and Erie. Round gobies have only been noticed in the Great Lakes Region since about 1990. By 1994 they were found in many bays and rivers outside of Cleveland. Most of the goby sightings have remained in the Midwest.
Equally important, these invaders need to be prevented. For instance, “Invaders among Us,” it states, “...managing the spread of these invaders is important.” Keeping the animals secured is key. Also making it so invaders can’t and are not introduced is good. The text “Invader Alert,” says, “Become knowledgeable about problems the pose and how you can help.” Knowing invasive species can help stop them from spreading. Also you can know not to buy or bring non-native
Invasive species are non-native organisms that occupy habitats and disrupt the natural ecological cycles of the habitat. They threaten the biodiversity of an ecosystem and are biological pollutants Invasive species introduced into new habitats usually maximize their reproduction in their new home and crowd out native species. Their lack of natural predators in their new community allow for a proliferation in growth and expansion as a result of their abundant food supply. Once they are established, invasive species can rarely be eliminated because their new habitat is favorable for their survival.
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).
Payette, Peter. "Michigan Chefs Experiment with Asian Carp." Michigan Radio. N.p., 26 Mar. 2013. Web. 8 May 2014.
Lionfish have brown and white stripes covering their body (NOAA, 2011). Lionfish have broad pectoral fins, and long individual dorsal spines that contain the venom glands in the tips (NOAA, 2011). The venom of the lionfish is only intended as a defense mechanism and not meant to kill. The spines of the lionfish deliver a sting that can result in severe pain, respiratory distress, and even paralysis (NOAA, 2011). Lionfish are found in almost all tropical marine habitats consisting of warm waters due to their invasive behavior. Their native range covers a very large area from western Australia and Malaysia east to French Polynesia and off the east coast of Australia to the Kermadec Islands of New Zealand (NOAA, 2011). Lionfish have been found along the coast from Florida to North Carolina. The first lionfish was reported in South Florida waters in 1985 with additional sightings occurring until they were documented as established in the early 2000s (NOAA, 2011). Lionfish are very popular aquarium fish, especially in the U.S making them important to the aquarium trade. There are two possible ideas about how the lionfish were introduced into the Atlantic. The first is through ballast water, the water carried in the bellies of the enormous transport ships of intercontinental trade (Whitney, 2003). Larval lionfish have low oxygen and food needs which makes surviving movement in ballast water a possibility (Whitney, 2003). The second possibility is that a number of...
Invasive species are organisms that harm a new environment that they are not native to. Many invasive species like Eurasian milfoil are easily able to reproduce and can do so fast. Due to this, the limited space in a body of water or area of land is quickly taken over by the invasive species so other native plants face the risk of death or even extinction. Overall, these invasive species can do great harm to an ecosystem or an economy, causing problems that are destructive to numerous organisms.
The Dwarf Seahorse mostly eats non insect arthropods and is always a carnivore. To catch food they hook onto seagrass and are well camouflaged and catch drifting tiny animals like brine shrimp, copepods, and freshly hatched shrimp larvae. They prey is sucked near through the snout. Food progress in the seahorse is very fast causing it to absorb little nutrients. Because of this the sea horse can consume up to 3,000 brine shrimp a day (Animal Diversity Web).
Invasive species only started to show up in the United States when the Europeans started to arrive. Beforehand, very limited contact was made in this particular region of the world, so very few invasive species came into North America. When the Europeans arrived in 1492, after Columbus discovered North America, they brought their own culture and essential food and animals with them. At first, it was just the basics of maize, wheat, pumpkins, and squash, but later on it also included cows, chickens, and horses . As more Europeans flocked into the country, non-native species began to appear in the area. Often, as non-native species appeared it led to unintended consequences of destroying gra...
The Artemia franciscana can survive in extreme conditions of salinity, water depth, and temperature (Biology 108 laboratory manual, 2010), but do A. franciscana prefer these conditions or do they simply cope with their surroundings? This experiment explored the extent of the A. franciscanas preference towards three major stimuli: light, temperature, and acidity. A. franciscana are able to endure extreme temperature ranges from 6 ̊ C to 40 ̊ C, however since their optimal temperature for breeding is about room temperature it can be inferred that the A. franciscana will prefer this over other temperatures (Al Dhaheri and Drew, 2003). This is much the same in regards to acidity as Artemia franciscana, in general thrive in saline lakes, can survive pH ranges between 7 and 10 with 8 being ideal for cysts(eggs) to hatch (Al Dhaheri and Drew, 2003). Based on this fact alone the tested A. franciscana should show preference to higher pH levels. In nature A. franciscana feed by scraping food, such as algae, of rocks and can be classified as a bottom feeder; with this said, A. franciscana are usually located in shallow waters. In respect to the preference of light intensity, A. franciscana can be hypothesized to respond to light erratically (Fox, 2001; Al Dhaheri and Drew, 2003). Using these predictions, and the results of the experimentation on the A. franciscana and stimuli, we will be able to determine their preference towards light, temperature, and pH.
You probably think horseshoe crabs are crustaceans, but you’d be wrong. They actually aren’t crabs at all, and there’s more about the horseshoe crab that you wouldn’t believe. This weird-looking marine animal survived two mass extinctions and lived in the Ordovician Period.
Introduction Caretta caretta, otherwise known as the Loggerhead Sea Turtle, is an oceanic turtle that exist throughout the globe. They are circumtropical species (LeBlanc et al. 2014) meaning they are distributed throughout temperate and tropical ocean regions, but most abundant species are found in the United States coastal range. Loggerheads largest nesting aggregations in the Atlantic are found along the southeastern United States coastal range where about 80% of all nesting occurs and 90% of all hatchlings are produced (Abecassis et al. 2013).
When people think of invasive species they normally do not think of the human species, but why not? There is a large debate about whether or not human are an invasive species. Before people debate about whether or not the human race is an invasive species they should know the definition of one. The legal definition of an invasive species in the United States is “an alien species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health” (Zielinski). The International Union for Conservation of Nature, IUCN, defines an invasive species as “animals, plants or other organisms introduced by man into places out of their natural range of distribution, where they become established and disperse, generating a negative impact on the local ecosystem and species” (Zielinski). If we recognize that the human race is an invasive species then we can take steps to lessen the places we are at, the damage we do to the environment, and the damage we do to other species.
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...