2. Goat

3. Black rat

4. Starling

5. 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

6. Zebra Mussel (24 MM)

7. Caspian Sea to Missouri River? ???HOW????

8. 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

10. Cluster of zebra mussels

11. Kudzu vines

12. Abstract Art?

13. Unique use of kudzu vines

14. Japanese Honeysuckle flowers

15. Is this a pretty picture?

17. Taking a chokehold

18. Strangulation

20. Field of purple loosestrife

22. Chestnut Blight Fungus

23. Brown Tree Snake

24. 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

25. Am I an invasive species to the Galapagos Islands?

26. 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

28. What can you do to help solve this problem?