Ecological Problem Invasive Species

Humans have caused another extinction, one that could possibly take us down in the process, species are exponentially going extinct because of habitat loss, species exportation, and invasive species bullying native species. On the other hand, scientists are trying to safe guard native species, keep animals in captivity whether it be for the animals well-being or for research, and widespread invasion. In this essay I will be comparing and contrasting “What Everglades Pythons and Other Invasive Species are Trying to Tell Us,” by Julia Whitty and “The Sixth Extinction,” by Jeff Corwin.

As well as pollution, invasive species are damaging the lake ecosystems and food chains, made fragile by pollution and overfishing. The introduction of a new species throws off the balance of food chains. Some common invasive species include the sea lamprey, Asian carp, and zebra mussels, among many others. Zebra mussels have dramatically influenced and affected stable food chains by reducing the amount of zooplankton and phytoplankton. This presents a problem, as fish mostly feed on the drifters, and so they go hungry and die, leaving no food for larger fish to prey on. In addition to underwater disruption, it affects us as well, but only slightly. Plankton and algae especially are the most productive aquatic producers of oxygen, and by the decreasing population, we lose oxygen as well. The sea lamprey is also a problem, though it is not so influential to ecosystems as the zebra mussel.

First of all, Zebra mussel disrupt the food chain. In the Great lakes, zebra mussels eat the plankton that small, native fish need to survive. Consequently, this hurts the native fish and the larger fish that feed them.

Species have been invading the Great Lakes for a very long time. “Scientists estimate that there are more than 185 invasive species in the Great Lakes today.” One of the species that invade the Great Lakes is the Round Goby. This animal usually feeds on fish eggs, Yellow Perch, Bass, and Walleye. The Round Goby is an invasive species because it kills other species, or it can make them extinct. Another example of invasive specie is Quagga Mussel. The Quagga Mussel usually sits in lakes or oceans, building up over a long period of time, this leads to millions, and millions

The St.Lawrence river is a large tourist attraction for northern New York. With invasive species being introduced to the river and the land surrounding they have affected the way the river looks and the species that are in it. Any plant or animal found outside of its normal range is considered to be invasive to the area it is now located. There has been an estimated 163 invasive species that have been discovered in the Great Lakes and the St.Lawrence since the late 1800’s. Of the 163 species that have been unintentionally introduced to the area, 85 of them reside in the St.Lawrence river. The variety of non-native plants and animals in the St.Lawrence river and surrounding land have had a continuing negative effect on the native ecosystem.

Another main challenge facing the Great Lakes is the threat of invasive species, specifically the Asian Carp. The Asian Carp is very dangerous to the great lakes if they were to invade the Great Lakes they would have the capability to knock out entire species of fish while having no real predators. The intrusion of this fish has the potential to ruin the lake's ecosystem altogether. Not only would it hurt the ecosystem immensely, but would drastically hurt the 7 billion dollar fishing industry in the United States. The Greats Lake Restoration Initiative has funded electronic barriers in places vulnerable to the Asian Carp, to keep the fish out of the Great Lakes. These barriers have been successful and have slowed the spread of Asian Carp in

In the 1980’s, the zebra mussels arrived in the United States as an invasive species after being carried through the ballast of ships. With that, they began to feed on the native mussels and compete with them for filtering food that the natives eat themselves. They eventually become successful in their environment after spreading throughout the Great Lakes and the many rivers in the United States through the ability to live in various environments, and latch onto other objects to move around, and reproduce at an incredibly rapid pace. However, despite the zebra mussels spreading throughout the area, there are various options that humans took to deal with the zebra

There are six common aquatic invasive species that happen in Lake Winnipeg. They are the common carp, rainbow smelt, white bass, the cladoceran Eusbomina coregoni, Asian tapeworm, and spiny water flea. These species affect the ecosystem`s health and function, the economic value of ecosystems, and human health.

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

Invasive Species have caused great problems throughout the years to the environment and also to the people. Getting rid of them are also a challenge. There are three basic methods: Manual, biological, and chemical. One method may be an easier choice than the other depending on what type of invasive species you are dealing with or what gender you are.

Asian carp is an invasive species that was introduced in the US to help control weed and parasite control. They are aggressive, adaptable, and rapidly growing. Asian carps are known to disrupt food chains as they eat all the food supply available to them. This causes other native fishes to not have food to eat and die off. They cause damage to boaters and boating equipment as they jump at high speeds from water being electro charged or when surprised by moving boats. This in turn causes collisions with people resulting in injuries.

Today in the United States there are 21,715 species that are native. Now more than double that number and you get the number non native species present in just the United States. Approximately 50,000 non native species are present in America “However, of that 50,000 species, approximately 4,300 have been considered invasive species” (Corn et. al, 1999). My aim is to raise awareness to protect these native animals that without our help will become extinct. There are many conservation Techniques and programs being performed however without more wide spread knowledge. Everyday more and more species are being spread and their results are being felt around the world. Not only can these invasive predator harm native species but they can spell trouble

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.

Invasive species are organisms that are not native to an ecosystem and cause harm to it. These organisms are capable of bringing about a great deal of damage to the ecosystems they are foreign to. This can range from disrupting the growth of the environment it has taken over to completely decimating other species. The introduction of invasive species to new environments often involves humans. The way that invasive species are introduced to a new environment varies greatly. Invasive species may be introduced by something as simple as humans accidentally tracking species into a new environment from the bottom of their shoes, or something bigger like destroying an ecosystem to clear the land, forcing the species that lived there to flee to a new ecosystem that can be disrupted by the presence of a new species.

The dangers to our world today have resulted in serious problems. In this regard, our ecosystems are threatened by invasive species. These species have concluded into significant habitat destruction. For example, Phragmites Australis, also known as the common reed is a major invasive species around the world. These originated from Europe and are now found all over the United States. They have been around for two centuries and are still around today. Common reeds are found to be native and nonnative. This species is a part of the grass family, usually hollow and green with yellow knots. They are around 6-13 feet tall and are found in wetlands and ditches. There are three lineages created of the common reed, one, the North American lineage. Invasive species have negative, detrimental effects on the ecosystems and environments.