{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"RENATURED","provider_url":"https:\/\/o-matic.com\/blog","author_name":"Marina","author_url":"https:\/\/o-matic.com\/blog\/blog\/author\/admin\/","title":"Invasive Species, defined 1","html":"[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"341\" caption=\"Madeline Von Foerster\u2019s painting \u201cInvasive Species II\u201d.\"]\"Madeline[\/caption]\r\n\r\nHere is an excellent description of invasive species from an environmental education web site,\u00a0 Eco-Pros<\/a> in California.\r\n
Species of plants and animals that are not native (natural) to an area are known as:<\/span><\/span>\r\nnon-native species\r\n<\/span><\/em><\/span>introduced species\r\nexotic species\r\n<\/span><\/em><\/span>non-indigenous species<\/span><\/em><\/span>\r\nalien species<\/span><\/em><\/span>\r\ntransplants<\/span><\/em><\/span>\r\ninvasive species<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/blockquote>\r\n
Established ecosystems have developed their own natural balance and controls over time, and the plants and animals within those systems find this balance suitable for survival, or they have been able to adapt in order to survive within those conditions.\u00a0 When non-native species from other ecosystems are introduced, they can upset that balance and bring harm to the established plants and animals, and the whole ecosystem.\r\n\r\nNon-native species come from somewhere else and they are not natural to the ecosystem they have been introduced to.\u00a0 They may be harmless and beneficial in their natural surroundings, but they can totally devastate different environments.\r\n\r\nWhen alien species enter into an ecosystem, they can disrupt the natural balance, reduce biodiversity, degrade habitats, alter native genetic diversity, transmit exotic diseases to native species, and further jeopardize endangered plants and animals.\u00a0 When there are no established natural controls, such as predators to keep the non-native harmful species in check, there can be a population explosion of the invasive non-native species causing an ecological catastrophe.\r\n\r\nNot all non-native species are invasive and harmful.\u00a0 But many can completely take over and entirely change whole established ecosystems.\u00a0 These are the non-natives that invade<\/em> an established environment; therefore, they are invasive<\/em>.\r\n\r\nInvasive species may be as harmless looking as green plants or a frog.\u00a0 They don't have to be vicious looking to bring harm to an area.\u00a0 They may even be beautiful to look at.\u00a0 This could have a detrimental \t\teffect on native species if bees or other pollinators preferred the \t\tflowering displays of the invasive species over the native species.\u00a0 Many humans want to design their own ecosystems to fit their needs.\u00a0 They bring in ornamental flowering trees, non-native fish, specialty seeds, and unusual animals.\u00a0 This can wreak havoc on the natural species and the established habitat.\r\n\r\nOrnamental exotic plants, flowers and trees, or animals that are brought into an ecosystem may increase the diversity of species locally; but, then the introduced species can take over, crowd out or kill the native indigenous species, and in some cases cause extinctions of particular species of plants and animals.\u00a0 This has happened in island ecosystems where alien species caused the total destruction of local species that existed nowhere else on the planet.\u00a0 Therefore, the species became extinct and the biodiversity of our planet further reduced.\r\n\r\nTremendous damage can occur from an insect species that bores holes in trees, or weeds that take over, or zebra mussels that clog up water systems (i.e., Great Lakes).\u00a0 There are many species that are not native to an area which can be very dangerous and cause harm and even death to humans (i.e., brown tree snake).\u00a0 A non-native species could be something that brings disease to an area or to people through introduced bacteria or viruses (i.e., Ebola), or possibly a plant that would crossbreed with other plants and cause major changes to plant life.\u00a0 When natural habitat or food supply is destroyed, by alien species or from other circumstances, animals have to leave to find shelter and food in an ecosystem which will sustain them.\u00a0 Some native animals cannot leave.\u00a0 Without proper habitat and food supplies, they die.\r\n\r\nMany non-native species have been transported in the ballast water of ships and then are released into the waters in ports of call.\u00a0 Many more non-native species arrive in the products\u00a0 that are imported from other countries.\u00a0 Inspecting shipments of goods is overwhelming our human resources, such as in Florida where they have approximately 12,000 shipments of animals per year and only 8 inspectors.\u00a0 There has been an ever-increasing amount of international world trade in exotic species in exporting and importing of plants and animals (such as ornamental tropical fish, rainforest birds, exotic plants, and various species introduced for a purpose).\u00a0 This lines the pockets of the traders, shippers and sellers of these goods with huge profits of millions of dollars.\u00a0 But, who pays to manage and control the global transport of invasive species with regard to prevention of negative impacts?\u00a0 What and where are the controls, rules and environmental regulations to protect ecosystems, habitats and species from alien invasive species?\u00a0 Who pays for risk assessments prior to the importation of products and species?\u00a0 Who compensates those who have been negatively affected or lost their livelihood because a harmful species hitchhiked a ride in a plane wheel, a cargo container, in agricultural products, or in ships' ballast water?\u00a0 Those who originally gained the monetary benefits from the invasives pay virtually none of the costs for environmental protection, nor are they generally held accountable for the negative environmental impacts they cause.<\/em> The general public, future generations, and the planet's environment and biodiversity end up paying dearly from the negative impacts of the exploitation of species, the loss of biodiversity in both the country of origin and the importing country, and for the environmental damage that occurs.\u00a0\u00a0 Huge sums of money have to be expended to try and rectify the damage to species and ecosystems from the introduction of non-native species into the ecosystems.\u00a0 Once massive damage is done, there are cases where it is impossible to bring the ecosystem back to its \"natural\" state.\r\n\r\nNon-native species don't necessarily come from far away.\u00a0 They may come from neighboring areas, but from different ecosystems.\u00a0\u00a0 If you have ever crossed a border between countries, you may have passed through an inspection point where inspectors ask if you are bringing any fruit, plants or animals into the country.\u00a0 The reason for this is to keep non-native species out of their particular ecosystems.\r\n\r\n\"Super-highways for non-indigenous \t\tspecies\" have occurred in such places as South Florida, where natural \t\taquatic habitats have been drained or diverted and modified to \t\taccommodate for new development.\u00a0 A network of man-made canals has \t\tallowed for the expansion of non-indigenous species that could result in \t\taltering established natural systems and cause significant economic \t\tharm.\u00a0 The Everglades, which has suffered serious decline over the \t\tyears, is already in a threatened state.\u00a0 This once-vibrant and \t\tmassive wetland ecosystem of many habitats, is now even further \t\tthreatened by many fishes that have been introduced that are \t\tout-competing native species.\r\n\r\nOther occurrences of non-native \t\tspecies being introduced to an area have been from aquaculture escapes, \t\taquarium releases, state government bio-control, planting fish for sport \t\tfishing, and individuals that bring in species for various reasons, \t\taccidentally or on purpose.\r\n\r\nAnd there are other Alien Species<\/em> - Humans!\r\nDid you ever think of yourself as an Alien Species?\u00a0 When we venture out into the wilderness to enjoy nature we are an invasive species.\u00a0 As \"eco-tourism\" has expanded worldwide, many thousands of people yearly invade pristine areas and change the natural balance of nature.\u00a0 Tourism has been thought to be a savior for financially poor, but biologically rich regions of the Earth.\u00a0 Tourists spend money; in fact, millions of dollars are spent on \"eco-tourism.\"\u00a0 But, who are the major benefactors of all that money? - the tourism industry.\u00a0 Many of the\u00a0 companies associated with \"eco-tourism\" are located in countries far removed from the eco-regions they send vacationers to.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 They are not impacted by the environmental changes which occur from the human alien species they ship off and fly off to the ecologically important hotspots of our planet.\r\n\r\nAlong with tourists and related activities comes environmental destruction.\u00a0\u00a0 Tourism brings in ships and jets carrying supplies and people, and the carriers and supplies themselves bring in more alien species (i.e., non-native plants, animals and organisms) which threaten and devastate native habitat and species.\u00a0 More people must also come to the tourist resort area to fill the jobs of the expanded tourism industry, such as in hotels, restaurants, and transportation fields.\u00a0 As more and more people take up residence, there is more construction and more pollution.<\/blockquote>","type":"rich"}