Introduction of alien species and its impact on biodiversity

Course Name: ENV XXX Sec X

Section: 02
Student Name:
ID:
Semester: Autumn 2017
Instructor: Ms Karishma Sinha
 Introduction of alien species and its impact on biodiversity

Table of Contents
Introduction...................................................................................................................................2
Discussion.......................................................................................................................................3
What Makes a Species Invasive?.............................................................................................................3
Consequences of Invasive Species:..........................................................................................................4
Brief Case Studies:...................................................................................................................................7
Aquatic plants, Aquatic invertebrates & Freshwater fish....................................................................7
Rodents on islands...............................................................................................................................7
Predators.............................................................................................................................................8
Terrestrial plants.................................................................................................................................8
Addressing the problem:.........................................................................................................................9
Warding off the intruder:........................................................................................................................9

Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................11

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 Introduction of alien species and its impact on biodiversity

Introduction

It is estimated that currently earth’s number of species ranges between 2 million to 10 million
(Many believe the number lies between 15 to 30 million) among them almost 1.6 million has
been identified. Biodiversity is very important because in this huge world every species is
connected somehow although not species live in the same place. Some live in jungle, some in
swamp, some in water etc. Life has been found in every element of the earth. This is why
biosphere is so vast.

Biodiversity is the combination of 2 words, Bio meaning life and diversity meaning
variety. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), biodiversity
measures variation at the genetic, the species, the taxa, and the ecosystem level. Terrestrial
biodiversity seems to be greater near the equator, which seems to be the result of the warm
climate and high primary productivity. It is not evenly distributed on earth, tropic area seems to
be more preferable for species however we can find life in the harshest condition in earth.

Saving biodiversity has become a great threat nowadays. Almost 90% of total species
live in the tropical area but due to human interactions species are losing their habitat and
niches. As a result many of the species has already lost from the blue planet. Humans are trying
to protect biodiversity for their own sake but many times they have done some terrible things
without knowing what major issue they have created. Introduction of an alien species into
another biodiversity is one of them.

It might sound like it is an amazing thought to introduce a new species to a new habitat
but most of the time it causes disaster. Introduction of a new species can extinct previously
existing species and there are a lot of example about it. Mainly because there might not be a
predator for the alien species. Also previous species has to compete with the alien species for
food shelter and most of the time delicate species can not compete with the alien species and
extinct eventually.

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 Introduction of alien species and its impact on biodiversity

Discussion

There are many ways in which the introduction of non-native or exotic species
negatively affects our environment and the diversity of life on our planet. The statistics are
startling and more attention must be paid to the problem and devising a solution before the
cost is more than we can bear. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), among a host of
other international studies, assessments and agreements, recognizes IAS as a major driver of
global biodiversity loss. It therefore urges its Parties to identify and prioritise IAS (Invasive Alien
Species) and their pathways of introduction, to manage these pathways to prevent introduction
and establishment, and control or eradicate priority species . The International Union for the
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the EU-funded DAISIE project have each identified the 100
‘worst’ invasive species threatening biodiversity and human livelihoods on the global scales.

The Cuban Tree

Frog is an invasive
species in
southeast USA,
competing with
smaller native
species.

Photo: Oksana
Hlodan

What Makes a Species Invasive?

Introducing a species into a new environment may have a variety of outcomes. An exotic
or alien species is one that has been introduced to a new place, but does not necessarily have
negative consequences. For example, many fish species have been introduced into the Great

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 Introduction of alien species and its impact on biodiversity

Lakes for sport fishing They have no documented negative impacts and provide recreational
opportunities and a food source. However, when these alien species begin to have negative
consequences in the new habitat, they are called invasive species. Invasive species may cause
environmental harm, economic harm, or impact human health. when a plant or animal enters a
new environment, they will likely encounter predators who have not been evolving with them,
which makes these predators unable to successfully exploit the prey. Defense mechanisms like
venom, size or speed that have been matched by adaptation in predators are suddenly without
match in the new environment. This can allow the species to proliferate rapidly as it no longer
faces any predators.2 Many insect or fungi that are invasive in the United States come from
regions where native trees have evolved resistance to their effects. When these species enter
the US, they find trees that have no resistance and they can decimate forests quickly.

Consequences of Invasive Species:

Invasive species can have a number of negative impacts on the areas that they invade.
Perhaps the most significant of these is the widespread loss of habitat. The hemlock woolly
adelgid is an invasive insect from Asia that rapidly kills infested hemlock trees. In some parts of
the Eastern United States, it is estimated that up to 80% of hemlock trees have been killed.

Other invaders, though they do not change a habitat, endanger single species or even entire
groups of them in various ways:

1. The predatory brown tree snake, introduced in cargo from the Admiralty Islands, has
eliminated ten of the eleven native bird species from the forests of Guam.

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 Introduction of alien species and its impact on biodiversity

2. The Nile perch, a voracious predator introduced to Lake Victoria as a food fish, has
already extinguished over one hundred species of native cichlid fish there.
3. A parasite can be similarly devastating. The sea lamprey reached the Great Lakes
through a series of canals and, in combination with overfishing, led to the extinction of
three endemic fishes.
4. The European parasite that causes whirling disease in fishes, introduced to rainbow
trout in a hatchery in Pennsylvania, has now spread to many states and devastated the
rainbow trout sport fishery in Montana and Colorado.
5. Herbivores can wreak great damage. The first sailors to land on the remote Atlantic
island of St. Helena in the 16th century introduced goats, which quickly extinguished
over half the endemic plant species.

Some impacts of invaders are subtle but nonetheless destructive to native species:

1. North American gray squirrels are driving native red squirrels to extinction in Great
Britain and Italy by foraging for nuts more efficiently than the native species. Such
competition for resources is not easy to observe, but the end result is the loss of a
native species.
2. Hybridization, or cross-breeding, of introduced species with natives is an even subtler
impact (no lineage goes extinct), but it is insidious because it leads gradually to the

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 Introduction of alien species and its impact on biodiversity

extinction of many native species, as their gene pools inevitably evolve to become those
of the invader. Introduced mallards, for instance, are driving the native Hawaiian duck
to a sort of genetic extinction by breeding with them.
3. Of 26 animal species that have gone extinct since being listed under the Endangered
Species Act, at least three were wholly or partly lost because of hybridization with
invaders. One was a fish native to Texas, eliminated by hybridization with introduced
mosquito fish.
4. Rainbow trout introduced widely in the United States as game fish are hybridizing with
five species listed under the Endangered Species Act, such as the Gila trout and Apache
trout.
5. The endangered, endemic Hawaiian duck is being lost to hybridization with North
American mallards introduced for hunting.

6. The rarest European duck (the white-headed duck) is threatened by hybridization with
the North American ruddy duck, which was originally kept as an amenity in a British
game park. The ruddy duck escaped, crossed the English Channel, and spread to Spain,
the last stronghold of the white-headed duck.

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 Introduction of alien species and its impact on biodiversity

Brief Case Studies:

Aquatic plants, Aquatic invertebrates & Freshwater fish
Water hyacinth, water primrose and NZ pigmyweed are three examples of freshwater
aquatic plants that have become highly invasive. These species cause fundamental changes to
freshwater habitats, covering large areas of wetland, including canals and other waterways.
They block waterways and interfere with the oxygenation and movement of the water. They
alter the composition of the aquatic community, decreasing its diversity. Signal crayfish, Red
swamp crayfish and Spinycheek crayfish were all introduced from N America to be used for
food, as bait or kept as pets. Some were released into the environment, where they transmitted
the crayfish plague, a parasitic disease, to native European crayfish. The Chinese mitten crab
and the Pacific oyster were introduced for human consumption in Europe but, now abundant
and still spreading; they modify habitats and alter water quality. Freshwater fish In the last two
centuries, the freshwater fish communities have regularly been “improved” by introducing
more aggressive species, with a view to making angling more challenging or exciting. These new
arrivals predated the smaller fish –including the young of valued species– and their food, and
simplified the original communities.

Rodents on islands
Islands are extremely vulnerable to IAS, particularly where they have breeding seabirds
or resident reptiles and amphibians. Historically, rodents (rats, mice) and feral cats have been
extremely harmful species, driving hundreds of island endemic species to extinction over recent
centuries. There are now few islands in Europe that remain predator-free. The cost of
eradicating rodents is high, particularly for larger islands, because the task must be completely

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successful, which is often a technical challenge. However, following removal of non-native

mammals, native vegetation and fauna recover quickly and dramatically - demonstrating that
the presence of alien predators was a major driver of poor conservation status.

Predators
Non-native, medium-sized predators are among the most problematic IAS, particularly
opportunistic species that will take the easiest variety of prey, which may include species of
conservation concern. The American mink, the Racoon and the Racoon dog already have large,
well-established populations in mainland Europe, which need to be managed. It is important to
limit their further spread, particularly onto islands and vulnerable habitats. The Raccoon is a
known vector of several diseases, including the raccoon roundworm, which is potentially lethal
for humans.

Terrestrial plants
Invasive terrestrial plants like Pampas grass, Rhododendron ponticum hybrids, Japanese
knotweed and giant hogweed can extend over huge areas as mono-specific tracts. They
dominate the space, preventing other plants from establishing in those areas, and interfering in
reproductive processes, out-competing native wildflowers for the attention of pollinators.
Himalayan balsam excludes other species from woodlands. Iceplants form extensive carpets on
limestone islands; their presence can benefit rats, to the detriment of the vertebrate
communities (seabirds, reptiles) that once thrived on invaded islands.

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Addressing the problem:

IUCN, the World Conservation Union, states that the impacts of alien invasive species
are immense, insidious, and usually irreversible. They may be as damaging to native species and
ecosystems on a global scale as the loss and degradation of habitats

The numbers of introduced species are growing because of increased trade and travel,
but the situation is not hopeless.

 Internationally, the Rio Convention of Biological Diversity (1992) recognized the threat
and called for action to limit it.

 A Global Invasive Species Program, formed by the United Nations and other
international organizations, is beginning to answer this call with a series of programs
designed to deal with particular sorts of introduced species.

If all these policies (or global measures) and weapons are used in the battle against invaders,
there is every reason to think that most native species and ecosystems can be protected against
this threat. If our interest or support falters, the current wave of invaders will surely become a
flood, leading to massive habitat change and extinction as much of the earth undergoes a
massive biotic homogenization.

Warding off the intruder:

Keeping potentially damaging invaders out is the most cost-effective way to deal with
introduced species.

Properly dispose of hanging baskets and other yard waste 9check with your local municipality
for options, many have yard waste pick up programs. Dumping of yard waste not only smothers
natural vegetation and introduces invasive plants and other weeds but also rots the roots of
trees, destabilizes slopes and causes erosion and attracts pests.

• Prevent the escape of invasive plants and animals from society

• Better yet, plant native plants – they’ll provide better habitat, attract wildlife and require less
maintenance.

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 Introduction of alien species and its impact on biodiversity

• Get involved locally in invasive plant & wildlife removal and native species recovery.

• Request and support local bylaws or legislation to restrict problem species

• Work with commercial horticultural organizations and landscaping associations towards

integration and education of the values of native plant use and reducing dependency on non-
native plants and animals.

The newest technology for managing invaders is ecosystem management, in which the entire
ecosystem is subject to a regular treatment (such as a simulated natural fire regime) that tends
to favor adapted native species over most exotic invaders. Because it is so new, the specific
ways in which ecosystem management can be employed must be determined in each type of
habitat.

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 Introduction of alien species and its impact on biodiversity

Conclusion

We all are under threat right this moment because since in the time the article is written so
many species have lost. Species lost or biodiversity loss effect not only the food web but also
every living organism in the planet. Introduction of an alien or invert species can be really
harmful for the community. A keystone species effect the community and if it is lost or
removed the whole ecosystem might collapse. Introduction of an alien species also can do that.
It can change or overcome the predator then whole ecosystem might collapse thus many
species are lost every day.

Human have already hampered so many biodiversity and ecosystem that many well known
species are not found in their native area completely or at stake of being extinct like the Royal Bengal
Tiger in the Sunderbans. They are doing some experiment like creating safari park or creating artificial
environment for the animals like Royal Bengal Tigers are now training by human and hoping to culture
them in Africa. It might be a good idea for Tigers but a lot of animal living their can be effected badly.

Taking away an animal from their natural habitat and introduce it to another is a bad and
injustice scenario. They should not be removed or introduced to another habitat but they should be
taken care of in their natural habitat. Nature has created them for that particular area and that’s where
they belong. Despite of mass extinction of so many organisms they can be saved. Their natural habitat
should be conserved and awareness should be raised. This is the only way we can still save the
Biodiversity, the nature, the human race and most importantly the existence of life in the blue planet.

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References
1. Earth Rangers. (2016, 11 03). Retrieved from Ten of the World's Most Invasive Species | Earth
Rangers Wild Wire Blog: [Link]
most-invasive-species/

2. How do Invasive Alien Species impact on biodiversity in the EU? | BirdLife. (n.d.). Retrieved from
How do Invasive Alien Species impact on biodiversity in the EU?: 3.
[Link]
biodiversity-eu

3. Impact of invasive alien species. (2017, 12 04). Retrieved from WWF:

[Link]

4. Introduced species. (n.d.). Retrieved from Wikipedia:

[Link]

5. Introduced Species: The Threat to Biodiversity & What Can Be Done. (2017, 12 04). ACTION
BIOSCIENCE .

6. Invasive Species: How They Affect the Environment. (n.d.). Retrieved from
[Link]: [Link]

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