Invasive Species: The Threat To Us And The Environment

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All about Invasive Species Over the years, problems arise that are threatening to us and the environment we live in. Some problems are more serious and threatening than others. Other problems are easier to deal with and are fixed with easy solutions. One serious problem today is invasive species. Invasive species are a problem being faced across the globe and if nothing is done to stop them, they will have a devastating impact on humanity. Invasive species are defined legally in the United States as “an alien species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.” Invasive species are species of animals or plants that are non-native to a particular ecosystem. Examples include toads, bacteria, fish, insects, etc. The main reason how invasive species were introduced to other ecosystems or habitats is by ships. So the question is why were they brought to the places or ecosystems where they are today? Invasive …show more content…
Out of all 1880 imperiled species in the United States, 49% are endangered because of invasive species (Simberloff 1). In fact, invasive species are more of the threat to biodiversity than pollution, harvest, and disease combined. Invasive species threaten biodiversity by causing disease, acting as predators or parasites, or hybridizing with local species. Aside from that, invasive species can be damaging to a habitat, placing ecosystems at risk. Invasive species do this by killing or driving out native species that have important roles in the habitat. Also, they can effect human enterprise, such as fisheries, costing the economy millions of dollars (Simberloff 1). According to a fisherman, “It’s [invasive species] a national problem that is rapidly spreading across Montana. We believe that more than 20 percent of Montana’s illegal fish introduction occurred just in the past 10 years alone”(Bahlmann
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