Importance Of Invasive Species In Wisconsin Lakes

When was the last time you swam in the Great Lakes? Could you say that it was clean, could you say that the organisms were all healthy and doing great? Well, unfortunately, there are many things harming our Great Lakes, like chemicals, pollution, and invasive species.

Asian Carp should be prevented from entering the Great Lakes because they are destroying the ecosystem in that area. They are a negative contribution to the lakes because they are eating all of the plankton needed for the native fish to survive, which in turn will create a mass starvation among all the fish in the area. The Asian Carp are also a hazard to boaters, as they are capable of jumping out of the water and knocking into fishermen. They can take over an area quickly and never leave because they have no predators, they come in massive swarms, and they breed fast.

: Larchwood Lake may not ever be the same again. The story about Larchwood Lake is not that uncommon. Without doing extensive research into possible things that could occur by lowering the lake level, the Larchwood Lake Homeowner’s Association destroyed the very thing they were trying to protect. Carelessness and poor planning are not the only root causes however. There are a number of reasons that led to the degradation of Larchwood Lake that happen to relate to more macro level environmental issues. Those reasons are poorly designed environmental policy created by the E.P.A., poor understanding of lake ecology by the managers of the land, and false confidence in poorly planned ideas. By looking at how these factors contributed to the degradation of the lake, hopefully we will be able to make more ecological sound decisions in the future.

There are unwanted visitors threatening to make their home in the Great Lakes. Originally coming from Asia, the fish immigrated to the Mississippi River eventually making their way to the Great Lakes. Let’s take a look at the problem, the causes and effects, and the possible solutions of the Asian Carp Invasion.

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.

We need to decide if we want the economic benefits or if we want to save our ecosystem for the future generations to enjoy. Spotted bass are being considered an invasive species by some biologists. In 1993 a group of biologists in Louisiana put tracking devices in spotted bass to try and learn more about this species that was becoming more prevalent in the Flint river. The same group of biologists did a follow up electro-shock in 1999. The electro-shock showed that this population of bass was growing at an extremely rapid rate. The population of these fish had more than doubled and the other fish species had decreased, especially the largemouth and smallmouth bass. There was another electro-shock done in 2005 that showed the same results. The spotted bass population was growing rapidly and the largemouth and smallmouth populations were dropping. A different group of biologist decided to follow up on the studies that were done in earlier years. They found that the largemouth populations are struggling and the smallmouth are no longer in the Flint river. According to North American Journal of Fisheries Management, the recent introduction of spotted bass along the upper Flint River has caused great concern among anglers and fisheries managers about the potential negative impacts.

An invasive species has entered Maryland’s waters and threatens to dramatically alter the balance of the aquatic ecosystem. The Northern Snakehead fish, native to Asia and Africa, is a voracious predator, competing with native fish at all stages of its life. The juveniles will consume zooplankton, insect larvae, small crustaceans and other fry fish. Adults eat fish, crustaceans, frogs, small reptiles and even birds and mammals. Snakeheads aggressively protect their young. They are also air-breathers which allow them to survive on land for as long as four days and migrate up to a quarter mile over land making control difficult. Snakeheads carry a disease, Epizootic Ulcerative Syndrome, and there is concern this disease may be transmitted to native fish. The snakehead fish was probably intentionally released in the U.S. by aquarium owners and through the live food fish trade attempting to establish a local food source. To date, the snakehead fish is found in seven states with reproducing populations documented in Maryland and Florida. In Maryland, they have been captured in the Potomac River and tributaries. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Biological Resources Division of the U.S.G.S. are all involved in monitoring and eradicating the snakehead fish. Maryland anglers can help by learning to identify the snakehead fish and by removing it from the ecosystem. As further incentive, Maryland DNR has offered

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.

What is an invasive species? An invasive species is a species not native to an area, in this case not native to the Great Lakes area. A non-native species is a species that originally was not in a certain location but was brought there and causes a lot of damage. An invasive species also is a great danger to the environment and can cause damage to humans, plants, and animals. In Illinois and the Great Lakes area there are more than 180 invasive and non-native species. That means a lot of damage is made into our environment. One particular invasive species is Agrilus planipennis, more commonly known as emerald ash borer.

There are many creative ways the of invasive species is being addressed and they are a problem. There are many different problems with invasive species. There might be problems with invasive species, but people are coming up with fun and different ways the problem can be addressed. Pythons, wild pigs, and red foxes are all a danger to different wild life. There will continually be more species even if everyone thinks they are gone, they will come back every time even if it is a different

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

Introduced species are seldom a positive addition to an ecosystem as they cause great stress and harm to the populations of native species. Many introduced species become invasive as they have no natural predators in their new environment, therefore they thrive, and crowd out all other animals. Some examples of invasive species in Ontario waters include the round goby, zebra mussels, eurasian ruffe, goldfish, northern snakehead, rainbow smelt, and rudd, to name a few. A great example to show how destructive an introduced fish can be is the asian carp, this species spreads very aggressively and it is considered the greatest threat to aquatic ecosystems in Ontario. These fish grow to be very large in size, up to 40 kg and 1 meter long. The asian

Asian Carp where brought to America in the 1970’s because of their ferocious appetites, to keep algae and other matters out of ponds on catfish farms. Asian Carp average a full-grown length of five feet, and can surpass one hundred pounds. They breed and populate, and grow very quickly. Asian Carp are adversely affecting their un-natural environments by starving out native pond and river inhabitants. They have been slowly but surely migrating up the Mississippi River since their introduction to the Georgia portion. Their imminent arrival to the Great Lakes of Michigan has become a serious concern. This would be an issue because the Great Lakes are currently home to more than 43 federally protected species of fish. An invasion by Asian Carp

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