Coccinia Grandis: A Common Invasive Plant Species

The Maryland ecosystem is being ravaged by several invasive species. These species are introduced into the ecosystem in several ways, with several discoveries of invasive species every year. Whether it be Wavyleaf basketgrass or Purple loosestrife, these plants are capable of outcompeting with native plants and causing devastation to the native ecosystem. These invasive species are damaging to the environment and we should work as a community to halt the spread and limit its impact on the ecosystem of Maryland.

One environmental issue that the great lakes watershed has been exposed to is invasive species. An invasive species is any organism that is foreign to an ecosystem and causes harm (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2016). In ordered to be classified as foreign they do not have to be from a different country but they just must be a non-native to an established ecosystem. Some of the species travel at their own will but they primarily spread through human activities unintentionally. As we import and export goods, or travel, some uninvited species may ride along and travel to new places. Organisms can be stowed away in ships or products like wood. Some ornamental plants may

Invasive species come in many forms; they can be plants, animals, insects, fish, fungus, organisms, and bacteria. Invasive plants are those which cause environmental, economic and human harm and originate from another area or region. They are a complex and difficult problem to tackle. There are more than 4,000 plants species found in Florida, of those 1300 or more are non-native or invasive. Many invasive species are taking over Florida’s waterways disrupting their natural ecosystem by outgrowing and replacing Florida’s native plants. Relieving the damage they cause is not easy, but scientists and members of the communities being affected are finding that it is achievable, as long as everyone works as a team to address the issue.

Significance: The question of whether or not invasive species impact the environment is an important one. The answer affects everyone. In today’s world, we take the outdoors for granted. People don’t realize how much it does for us. It provides economical resources, areas to relax, and oxygen for us to breathe. Without these simple things our lives would change drastically. Life as we

Georgia has been invaded by numerous species that are known as harmful exotic plants and animals. It is so costly to attempt to control invasive species and the damages they inflict cost the United States annually an estimated $137 billion (Georigia Invasive Species Task Force, 2005). For example, in South Georgia there is an estimate of 7 million acres of Kudzu vine that originated in Japan and China. The damage that arises with the Kudzu vine is that it grows up to one foot per day and overgrows and shades out trees, covers houses, barns and road signs (Georigia Invasive Species Task Force, 2005). In order to make this a top priority some things congress needs to change is the revision of current United States policy on importation of live plants and animals and when considering, reviewing, or approving trade agreements they address specific invasive species. In addition, the implementation of prescribed burnings in areas with invasive species will help eliminate and control the spreading of such invasive species.

Campbell, G.H. Rodda, T.H. Fritts. Managing island biotas: brown tree snake control using barrier technology. Pages 138-143 in Proceedings of the 18th Vertebrate Pest Conference. R.D. Baker and A.C. Crabb, Eds. Univ. of Davis, 1998. https://www.fort.usgs.gov/sites/default/files/products/publications/21716/21716.pdf

Heavy feeding by the whitefly causes the death of numerous plants, or degradation in growth of older plants, because of the loss of sap. “When adult and immature whiteflies feed, they excrete honeydew, a sticky excretory waste that is composed largely of plant sugars. The honeydew can stick cotton lint together, making it more difficult to gin and therefore reducing its value. Sooty mold grows on honeydew-covered substrates, obscuring the leaf and reducing photosynthesis, and reducing fruit quality grade” (USDA 2016). By noticing the harmful effects that the whitefly has on the environment, many actions are being made to prevent the spread of further

The overall website page on Channel Islands includes many tabs for users to explore. The page on terrestrial invasive plants is a helpful resource in learning about the competition of non-native plants. Colonization of invasive species poses harmful threats to native plants because many invasive plants such as sweet fennel, olive, and eucalyptus, compete for nutrients, light, and water. Sometimes these invasive species can outcompete native plants which can then lead to extinction. Constant eradication of invasive species is needed in order to ensure that native populations are not harmed. The web page provides in depth descriptions of the main invasive plants on the island as well as how each plant survives on the island. Although this website

An invasive species is any kind of living organism that is not native to an ecosystemand usually causes harm to the ecosystem (National Wildlife Federation, 2014). Native species have not coevolved with the invasive species and may not have the ability to deal with the introduced species (Holway et al. 2002). The Red Imported Fire Ant (Solenopsis invicta) is a relatively aggressive species of ant native to South America. It was introduced on multiple occasions into the United States in the early- to mid-1900s (Callcott et al. 1996). Since then, it has spread to the very borders of its geographical climate tolerance, and through acclimation, hybridization, and the effects of global climate change, has managed to extend its range much farther than experts ever anticipated. It is now the subject of much research, as it has impacted not only ecological communities but the agricultural economy as well. It is estimated that RIFA have an impact of around $6 billion a year due to control, medical treatment, and damage to property (Lard et al. 2006). Agriculturally, Red Imported Fire Ants can cause financial damages in a number of different ways including eating various parts of the plant or causing the disruption of machinery. (Collins and Scheffrahn, Last Accessed 2014)

One concern that frequently emerges with regard to invasive species is whether or not they will have a significant impact on the economy, especially with regard to agriculture. This is especially the case as in relation to insects, which can cause major crop losses (Myers et al. 2000). However, this sort of impact is not limited to insects; other animals can graze on crops, and other plants can compete with crops. It is also possible for plants to provide a habitat for insects that may be harmful to crops. An analysis of the impact Verbascum has on arthropod population dynamics suggests that this may be the case, and it appears as though they may provide a place for certain pests to live during the winter. However, this same analysis also concluded that the plants also provided a home for many beneficial insects and that whether the net impact they had on other crops is ambiguous and likely to be highly context-dependent (Horton & Lewis 2003). Even if one decided that the risk of these plants posed by the potential to pose pests was severe, then it is not clear that one would actually solve this problem through eradication. This is largely because it does not seem unlikely that these pests could find some other, native plant that they could utilize instead, though this is only speculation. Furthermore, a different experiment provides more support for the idea that, under certain

Invasive species: out compete American ginseng for limited resources and some will change the soil environment making it unsuitable for

cattleianum, is a highly invasive species that damages native Hawaiian forests, ecosystems, and the watershed, which can be managed through mechanical, chemical, and biological controls. In its native homeland of southeastern Brazil, the strawberry guava is limited, unlike Hawaii, where it forms monotypic stands that displace native Hawaiian flora and fauna and drive these indigenous, endemic, and endangered species towards extinction. Strawberry guava contributes further to the displacement of native Hawaiian forests by providing nourishment to feral pigs and mice that feed on native Hawaiian flora and fauna. Besides displacement of native Hawaiian species, strawberry guava puts humans at risk through increased erosion and soil runoff as well as hosting fruit flies that cause large scale damage to crops. Mechanical and chemical controls were used to manage P. cattleianum, however they require a lot of time, labor, and money, yet the strawberry guava prevails majority of the time. The State has recently introduced a biocontrol, T. ovatus, which is host specific to P. cattleianum and not its commercially significant cousin, P. guajava, nor any native Hawaiian plants. Although the T. ovatus will not kill the strawberry guava, the T. ovatus will inhibit the growth of new foliage and fruit formation. With the introduction of T. ovatus and increased public awareness of the effects of strawberry guava, P. cattleianum can be controlled and eliminated to

A new controversy has arisen, arguing that not all invasive species are bad, and that they can improve diversity and the resilience of ecosystems. I however, believe that the risks substantially outweigh the benefits, and therefore invasive species should not be encouraged. Although it is true that not all introduced species have negative effects and completely destroy their new ecosystem. An example where an introduced species had a positive effect was the himalayan blackberry, that provided fruit to local wildlife and people. However, the plant crowded out native species in a competition for sun and nutrients. Another example is the scotch broom, a plant that is known for its bright yellow flower. It was introduced to beautify the landscape

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

The biodiversity effects of non-native invasive species have been described as “immense, insidious and usually irreversible” (Veitch and Clout, 2002). There is significant evidence proving that invasive species can cause severe economic, environmental and ecological damage (Mack et al., 2000). A lot of time and research has been devoted to dividing the world into regions with distinctive habitats and species. Numerous pathways, mostly anthropogenic, are breaking down these realms and facilitating the ecological and biological invasion of non-native species.