Invasive Species

Key Questions

• What is an invasive species?

  Answer:

  An invasive species is an organism or even an organism's seeds or eggs, that is not indigenous, or native, to a particular area.

  Explanation:

  While all species compete to survive, invasive species appear to have specific traits that allow them to outcompete the native species. Initially they often co exist with native species but gradually the superior competitive ability of an invasive species becomes apparent as it adapts to its new environment. This is possible because the new species is able to use resources that were previously unavailable to the native species.

  Invasive species can cause great economic and environmental harm to the new area. They may alter the environment by releasing chemical compounds, modifying abiotic factors, or affecting the behaviour of herbivores, creating a positive or negative impact on other species.

  Since there is a rapid adaptive evolution in such species, their resulting offsprings have higher fitness and are better suited for the environment.
  Invasions mostly occur in ecosystems that were similar to the one in which the species previously evolved.

  Linica Uday · 1 · May 21 2018

• Why are invasive species bad for the ecosystem and the environment?
• How can invasive species be harmful?
• What is an invasive species?
• Why are native species are important to an ecosystem?
• What are some examples of invasive species found in Lake Erie?
• What are the impacts of introducing a non-native species to an ecosystem?
• How do invasive species impact people on Earth?
• What is the most invasive species plant in New England?
• What North American species have become invasive species or ecological hazards elsewhere?
• What are some invasive species to North America?
• What are some reasons why invasive species cause extinction?
• How is the presence of Burmese pythons changing the Everglades?
• Is the giant snakehead fish an invasive species? If so where did it originate and where did they begin to populate?
• What is a specific example of an invasive species being introduced to kill off another invasive species?
• Would the Blue Bonnet be an adversely affected plant by an invasive species?
• What are species that migrate or are accidentally introduced into an ecosystem called?
• What are five invasive species in Arkansas?
• What is the difference between invasive species and exotic species?
• Why are invasive species often successful in colonizing new habitats?
• What are three methods used to help control invasive species?
• How can exotic species affect populations of native species?
• Why is the lionfish an invasive species?
• Why is kudzu an invasive species?
• Why is buckthorn an invasive species?
• Why are invasive species successful?
• Why do invasive species often become pests?
• What do invasive species do?
• What invasive species are in the United States?
• What invasive species are in the Great Lakes?
• What invasive species are in Michigan?
• What is the difference between an exotic and native species?