Environmental Science Perspectives

Invasive species cause harm to wildlife in many ways. When a new and aggressive species is introduced into an ecosystem, it might not have any natural predators or controls.  It can breed and spread quickly, taking over an area.  Native wildlife may not have evolved defenses against the invader or they cannot compete with a species that has no predators. The direct threats of invasive species: preying on native species out-competing native species for food or other resources causing or carrying disease preventing native species from reproducing or killing their young The indirect threats of invasive species: Changing food webs: Invasive species can change the food web in an ecosystem by destroying or replacing native food sources. The invasive species may provide little to no food value for wildlife. Decreasing biodiversity: Invasive species can alter the abundance or diversity of species that are important habitat for native wildlife. Aggressive plant species like kudzu can quickly replace a diverse ecosystem with a monoculture of just kudzu. Altering ecosystem conditions: Some invasive species are capable of changing the conditions in an ecosystem, such as changing soil chemistry or the intensity of wildfires.