Goat
Black rat
Starling
Invasive Species also known as exotic species, bioinvaders Plants, animals & microbes not native to region Accidentally or intentionally introduced Out-compete native species for resources Reproduce prolifically Difficult to control due to lack of native predators Dominate ecosystems
Zebra Mussel (24 MM)
Caspian Sea to Missouri River? ???HOW????
Just a Long Ride Across the Ocean in a Big Ship 1988 – Lake St. Clair (connects Lake Huron & Lake Erie 1990 – in all Great Lakes 1991 – into Illinois & Hudson Rivers 1992 – Arkansas, Cumberland, Hudson, Illinois, Mississippi, Ohio & Tennessee 1994 – 19 states report zebra mussels 2002 – isolated quarry in Virginia
Cluster of zebra mussels
Kudzu vines
Abstract Art?
Unique use of kudzu vines
Japanese Honeysuckle flowers
Is this a pretty picture?
Taking a chokehold
Strangulation
Field of purple loosestrife
Chestnut Blight Fungus
Brown Tree Snake
Impacts of Invasive Species Decrease in local/global biodiversity --> decrease ecosystem health --> extinction competition change to habitat domination of habitat changes in predator/prey relationships carry disease hybridization
Am I an invasive species to the Galapagos Islands?
Effects Cont. Estimated U.S. cost - $125-140 billion annually Estimate: 25% U.S. agriculture gross national product lost to foreign pests Nearly half of the species listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act are at risk due to competition with or predation by invasive species
What can you do to help solve this problem?
http://tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/