How Invasive Species Affect Biodiversity

First of all, let's talk about what an invasive species is. According to the National Invasive Species Information Center, they are "plants, animals, or pathogens that are non-native (or alien) to the ecosystem under consideration and whose introduction causes or is likely to cause harm. " So basically they are any type of organism that moves in on someone else's territory would be considered an invasive species. This might not initially seem like it could affect or harm biodiversity in any way, but it can have a large impact. When an invasive species is introduced to a new area, its natural predator is no longer keeping the population size in check. The species can then flourish, and use resources that otherwise would have been utilized by native species. Ultimately this can lead to the decline, and even extinction of native species, throwing the whole ecosystem off. Additionally, the effects of invasive species cost the US alone $137 billion each year. While this is a huge problem, there are steps that can be taken to reduce the impact of invasive species. The creation of the  Federal Invasive Species Council in 1999 and the National Environmental Coalition on Invasive Species are examples of the efforts made to reduce the impact of invasive species. There are also international efforts t reduce the spread of invasive species that can help to reduce the spread of invasive species internationally. As we continue to grow our efforts to ward off invasive species, we can have hope that in the future this will be a more widely known, and widely preventable issue.

Sources:
Image: Sherman's Lagoon by Jim Toomey

USDA. "Invasive Species: State Resources - Minnesota." Invasive Species: State Resources - Minnesota. United States Department of Agriculture, n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2015.

AIBS. "Introduced Species: The Threat to Biodiversity & What Can Be Done." Actionbioscience. Actionbioscience, n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2015.