Scaryus eatumupis Over past 200 years, several thousand foreign plant & animal species have become established in the US!
1 in 7 has become INVASIVE Push aside native species Harm human health and the environment Reduce productivity & ecological balance
Where do they come from?? Enter the United States by: Cower in cratesCower in crates Snuggle in shipsSnuggle in ships Hide inside fruits, vegetables, & meatsHide inside fruits, vegetables, & meats Carried on clothingCarried on clothing “Hitchhiking Pests and Diseases”
Where did it Come From? 1869: a French Monk brought some Gypsy Moths to the U.S. to experiment with them. Some escaped. 1993: a ship docked in North Carolina, opened its cargo hold, and dozens of Gypsy Moths were released.
Discussion Time! Red Fish go to corner #1. Seahorse go to corner #2. Shark go to corner #3. Manta Ray go to corner #4. How could you have stopped the spread of the moths? Would you have warned anyone about their release?
Where did it Invade? The first Gypsy Moths invaded Massachusetts and now reside in 15 states. 1993: invasion originated in NC and has spread through the South Eastern U.S.
Niche? 4 stages of life: egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa, adult. Eat leaves and spends its day foraging for food. It has no known predators in the U.S. Talk to your table: If there are no predators in the US, do you think they have predators in other countries? Why? What animals can you think of?
Effect on Environment It Invaded Current U.S. Gypsy Moth population could eat all of the leaves on 13 million acres of trees in 1 season. How could this be a devastating effect on the forest ecosystem? Talk to your table. Caterpillars crawl on homes and fall in pools making outdoor activities hard to enjoy.
Where did it invade? 1984: European cargo ship was emptied in Lake Huron. It accidentally let loose the water flea that was trapped inside. 1987: it could be found in all five Great Lakes.
Niche? Reproduce rapidly =10 babies every 2 weeks Lay eggs in winter & hatch in summer Eat plankton Predators cannot eat the flea because the barbs on its tail choke the fish Crustacean
Effect on the Environment it Invaded? The threat posed by the flea is not completely understood High reproductive rate Devour native plankton What do you think the loss of plankton means to the environment? Talk to your table. Damage to lake’s ecosystem causing harm to other species in the food chain.
Where is It From? Nutria are native to Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay. 1899: Brought to US to be used in the fur trade
Where Did It Invade? 1930: nutria were released on an island in Louisiana to start a commercial breeding farm. Several animals escaped. Spread throughout the Southern U.S Can be found throughout the entire U.S
Niche? Live in streams, lakes, ponds, and swamps Eat both water and land plants. Reproduce rapidly Swim and have buck teeth like beavers Hosts for many parasites
Effect on Environment It Invaded Eat all the plants and leave nothing but mud Native species have nothing to eat Eat agricultural crops like cabbage and lettuce Host many parasites and pass parasites to native wildlife and humans leading to outbreaks of disease!
Discussion Time! Talk to your table: How do you feel about this? Talk about your feelings both positive and negative so far about non-native species.
Where Is It From? Native to the Sahara in East Africa 1966: a boy smuggled 3 African snails into the U.S. as pets
Where did it Invade? Miami, Florida: His grandmother eventually released the snails into her garden. 7 years later more than 180,000 snails were found in Florida. It took the state of Florida 10 years and over $1 million to get rid of these pests!
Talk to your table! From this example, is it easy for just one person to introduce a new species to a new environment?
Niche? Much larger than native snails and therefore out competes them Hibernate to survive the cold months Reproduces fast = 1,200 eggs per year! It eats 500 types of plants Host for many parasites
Effect on Environment it Invaded Can pass on diseases to humans and wildlife Lives a long time (9 years) It can out-compete native snails for food Eats melons and papaya Hibernates = can survive almost anywhere in the U.S.
Discussion Time! Each table: person whose first name is the longest go to corner #1 Person whose first name is the next longest got to corner #2 Person whose first name is the next longest go to corner #3 Remaining person go to corner #4
Question What have you learned so far about non-native species? Be prepared to share with the class!
Where Did It Invade Invaded the island of Guam (a U.S. territory)! Since WW II, the snake has taken over almost all of the island! There are as many as 12,000 snakes per mile on Guam!!
Where Is It From? The Brown Tree Snake is native to Australia. It was brought over concealed in a WW II military transport plane.
Niche? Mildly venomous and kills its prey by injecting venom. Very good climber as it forages for food and water. Nocturnal Eats lizards, birds, and small mammals. Lays 12 eggs at a time 2 times each year
Effect on Environment it Invaded Too late to save Guam’s wildlife from the snake. It has decimated the native population of birds, mammals, and amphibians. Climb along electric wires causing power outages every 6 days! Raid homes killing pet birds! Reached carrying capacity on Guam and are searching out habitat elsewhere! Climbed aboard ships and made it to Hawaii 6 times. (Luckily they were caught…it would only take one pregnant female…….) What a great movie this would make!
Time to talk! Corner #1: Whose birthday month comes first at your table! Corner #2: Whose birthday month comes second! Corner #3: Whose birthday month comes third! Corner#4: Whose birthday month comes last!
Discuss! Why do you think people bring non- native species into other countries? Do you think they really know the consequences? What can you do to help?