Invasive Species - Survival Of Exotic Species, Effects Of Invasive Species, Examples Of Invasions, Management
introduced resources people intentional
An exotic species is one that has been introduced into a habitat it would not normally populate. This introduction can be intentional or unintentional. Exotic species have also been called introduced, nonnative, nonindigenous, or alien species. An invasive species is an exotic species that thrives in its new environment, disrupting the natural ecosystem. The majority of exotic species have been introduced unintentionally. "Hitchhiker" organisms such as seeds or insects attach to people's shoes, clothes, or luggage when they travel. When the humans return to their native land, they arrive bearing these nonnative species. Sometimes people bring beautiful plants and flowers home with them for ornamental purposes. These intentional introductions occur less frequently, but can have the same disastrous effects. Most of the time, the exotic species cannot survive in its new environment. Changes in climate, resources, and competition simply do not favor survival, and the organism eventually dies out. Occasionally, the introduced species ends up being invasive, out-competing the natural habitat for resources, displacing native flora and fauna, and wreaking economic havoc on a community.
Additional Topics
When a new species is introduced into an ecosystem, there are four different interspecific interactions that can occur. These are interactions that occur between two different species living in the same community. These interactions could have positive, negative, or neutral effects on the involved organisms. One such interaction is predation. This is when one species, the predator, uses the other,…
There are countless examples of invasive species and the problems they cause. The water hyacinth was introduced into the United States from South Africa in 1884. This was an intentional introduction; travelers brought back the flower for its ornamental beauty. These flowers grow quite rapidly, and without any natural predators in their new environments, they quickly over-populated their new enviro…
There are many more examples of the destruction invasive species can cause. The problem facing environmentalists and naturalists is management of these organisms. Management is important because invasive species can disrupt entire ecosystems, reduce biodiversity, endanger plants and animals, destroy landscapes and habitats, and transmit diseases. The United States National Park Service has propose…
Citing this material
Please include a link to this page if you have found this material useful for research or writing a related article. Content on this website is from high-quality, licensed material originally published in print form. You can always be sure you're reading unbiased, factual, and accurate information.
Highlight the text below, right-click, and select “copy”. Paste the link into your website, email, or any other HTML document.
User Comments