Definition Negative Effects
An alien species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health. |
Invasive species can change habitats, crowd and overpopulate native species and damage the agriculture, forestry and fishing businesses. The damage invasive species cause is about $137 billion dollars a year. Invasive species also threaten the biodiversity in an area. This chart shows the number of invasive fish, mollusks, dragonflies, plants and crabs. There is nearly 75 different invasive species of fish and about 10 invasive species of dragonflies and plants. This chart shows that there are a lot of invasive species in the world. |
Impacts How does this happen?
Invasive species decrease the amount of biodiversity in an area. Biodiversity is variety in the world or in one certain habitat. All animals are part of a food web and and when one animal is taken out of it possibly because of invasive species, the whole entire web and habitat is gone. In this food web, if all the plants were over crowded by a new plant that herbivores didn't eat, then the rest of the animals would die out because they didn't have anything to eat. Similar to if all the predators like foxes, snakes, and birds of prey died out, then the other animals would be overpopulated and their wouldn't be enough food for them. |
Ships, wood products, and pets bring invasive species into a new place. Ships can accidentally carry aquatic organisms in a ship's ballast water to a new place. Insects can chew and live in wood products travelling to a new destination. Pets like the Burmese
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Prevention/Conservation: |
There are many ways that people can prevent the spread of invasive species. People can clean their boats before going into a different body of water and people can clean their boots when hiking in a new area. Also not bringing food that animals can become attached to and get dropped off in a new place can prevent invasive species. Another way people can prevent invasive species is by not releasing exotic animals into the wild. This photo shows that it is illegal not to clean your boat and other ways to prevent invasive species in the water. Preventing invasive species could save one ecosystem or the world.
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