The introduction of invasive species in certain areas of the world can be profoundly harmful for the ecosystem that is being invaded. Invasive species threaten healthy ecosystem functioning, native biodiversity, animal and plant health, as well as human economies through the damage done to useful species of useful natural resources such as trees. The best way to avoid these problems is by taking measures to prevent the introduction of these non indigenous species. However if that fails, in some cases eradication of the harmful species may be possible and feasible.
One such invasive and harmful species is the European gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar). The European gypsy moth was introduced into North America in 1869 from Europe. Etienne Leopold Trouvelot intentionally imported the moths, with the intention of interbreeding gypsy moths with silk worms to develop a silkworm industry. Unfortunately The moths were accidentally released from his residence and soon spread across the New England area.
The gypsy moth started to cause environmental problems very quickly, as their numbers began to swell, forest defoliation was soon to follow. Affected forests grow much slower, with higher incidence of tree death. The trees were not the only thing the defoliation was effecting, it was also affecting local forest-dwelling bird populations. Nests placed in defoliated trees were much more visible and unprotected and in turn were subject to a much higher chance of predation compared to nests placed in healthy trees. gypsy moths each year impact the populations and reproductive success of these birds.
As well as ecological, the establishment of the gypsy moth in any new habitat can causes economical damage. Any lumber, tree nursery products or...
... middle of paper ...
...ic cost of using Bt is also a manageable one. Bt is distributed across vast amount if land through the use of aircraft and Bt is also easily produced at a manageable cost. The cost of Bt treatments varies between $15-$30 per acre depending on the dosage rate, geographical location and size of the treatment blocks. This cost is currently being shared by the U.S.D.A. Forest Service and the local municipality.
I would strongly support and recommend the use of Bt to solve the European gypsy moth problem. Its effectiveness as well as its low economic and environmental costs all contribute to its viability and usefulness when it comes to eradicating the gypsy moth in the most efficient way possible. I believe regular treatment to problem areas as well as research into Bt strains with higher mortality rates are the right course of action to take in regard to this problem.
Did you know that you happen to be surrounded by invasive species? These species are animals that come into areas they do not belong in. The articles, “Invaders among Us,” and “Invader Alert,” show this. They harm the environment, cost tons of money in damage and extermination, and they have to be prevented.
Monitoring Icaricia icarioides missionensis is one way the Golden Gate Recreational Area is attempting to alleviate some of the devastation caused by residential and industrial development in the San Francisco Bay Area. Scientists are attempting to detect trends in the number, and distribution of Mission Blues. This monitoring will help to understand how these trends are affected by different conditions within the region. It will also help us to determine which areas need more protection than others. Milagra Ridge and the Marin Headlands in California are two regions in which the monitoring consists of counting adult butterflies seen in the surrounding grasslands. An alternate form of this monitoring includes tracking Icaricia icarioides missionensis larvae and caterpillars. This overall tracking of the...
Humans are trying everything they can to trap the Gypsy moth and try to remove it from there eco-system, but the Gypsy moth keeps on reproducing. An annual trapping program is one method in which they place traps that attracts male Gypsy moths and gets them stuck in a sticky surface. If a substantial amount of moths are caught by the trap then more traps are set in that ecosystem. Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki (BTK) is a toxic soil bacterium that is sprayed over an area to prevent defoliation. When Gypsy moths are exposed to BTK the toxic causes stomach poisoning and they would eventually die. (Government of Canada,
Invasive species as a whole have become a nuisance to many habitats and ecosystems around the world. What defines an invasive species is the following. It must be a species that is foreign to the habitat it resides in, have no natural predators which allow it to reproduce in such a rapid manner, and out compete native animals of food and shelter (Rosenthal 2011). These characteristics are what create such high populations of these invasive species in various habitats around the globe.
This invasive species originates from Southeast Asia. This mosquito has made its way to Africa, the Middle East, Europe and North and South America as an invasive species. The Asian Tiger Mosquito was introduced into the United States accidentally from tires imported from Asia. The islands of Torres Straight have numerous reports of this mosquito also. This invasive species was introduced into the United States, probably Houston, Texas, from Japan in 1985. The constant trade of used tires throughout the U.S. allowed the Asian Tiger Mosquito to disperse across America.
Invasive species are non-native organisms that occupy habitats and disrupt the natural ecological cycles of the habitat. They threaten the biodiversity of an ecosystem and are biological pollutants Invasive species introduced into new habitats usually maximize their reproduction in their new home and crowd out native species. Their lack of natural predators in their new community allow for a proliferation in growth and expansion as a result of their abundant food supply. Once they are established, invasive species can rarely be eliminated because their new habitat is favorable for their survival.
Nonnative species can also be called alien, exotic, or nonindigenous. Their presence is due to humans dispersing them to other locations beside their native habitat, or by humans creating environmental conditions that allow their growth. When nonnative species begin to take over a new habitat and displace native species, they are then termed an invasive species. Nonnative invasive species are one of the biggest threats to ecosystems in North America (Cox, 1999) because they are able to have an impact on many levels, including ecosystems, communities, and populations (Cushman, Tierney, & Hinds, 2004).
Invasive species are organisms that harm a new environment that they are not native to. Many invasive species like Eurasian milfoil are easily able to reproduce and can do so fast. Due to this, the limited space in a body of water or area of land is quickly taken over by the invasive species so other native plants face the risk of death or even extinction. Overall, these invasive species can do great harm to an ecosystem or an economy, causing problems that are destructive to numerous organisms.
Niskern, Diana. Invasive species. Washington, D.C. (101 Independence Ave., S.E.): Science Reference Section, Science, Technology, and Business Division, Library of Congress, 2004.
Humans are responsible for almost all of the invasive plant and animal problems. Many of our problem invasives were (and often still are) planted as landscape plants in New Jersey. These include: Norway Maple, Japanese Barberry, Asian Bittersweet, English Ivy, Mimosa, Wisteria, Japanese Honeysuckle, Bugleweed, Bamboo, Day Lily, Purple Loosestrife, Tansy, and Dame's
What is critically known as the best American musical, Gypsy provides American musical theatregoers with dynamic characters, a captivating story and extraordinary music. Gypsy is an American musical that is based on the self-written book, “The Memoirs of ‘Gypsy Rose Lee’”. It is often referred to as, Gypsy: A Musical Fable. The musical made its debut on May 21, 1959 at The Broadway Theatre in Manhattan. The characters have been subject to many in depth analysis throughout its lifetime, adding a lot of new content and progressive thinking to the world of musical theatre. The history of the musical, musical acts, correlation to the real story of Gypsy Rose Lee, awards won and impact Gypsy had on musical theatre will be discussed in further detail.
Invasive species, (also known as invasive alien species or simply alien species) are defined as any organism (plant, animal, pathogen, or other living thing) that is alien (non-native) to an ecosystem, which can cause adverse economical, ecological, or health effects to native species and/or humans. The roots of these problems all stem from the massive negative ecological impact these organisms are having on the environment (CBD, 2009). For all animal extinctions where the cause is known since the 1600’s, invasive alien species have been a contributing factor 40% of the time (CBD, 2006); the second most contributing factor to extinctions after loss of habitat (GC, 2013). By eliminating native species through competition for resources, predation, and transmittal of disease, invasive species continue to reduce biodiversity in almost all ecosystems around the world (CBD, 2009). In the future, this problem may worsen, and if no action is taken, could lead to a cascading ecological problem so large that whole communities or even ecosystems could collapse.
The dark moth was almost nonexistent, as it was easy for predators to catch on the light colored trees. As the industrial revolution progressed, the amount of pollution in the air turned the trees a soot color, and as a result the light moths were easy for predators to spot. The light colored peppered moth all but died out, and was on the verge of extinction while the dark colored moth was thriving. In the last several decades the pollution in England has dropped and white moth is making a come back, and the dark moth is heading back towards oblivion. (Harter)
One of the big causes of extinction or the endangerment of species is foreign species entering a habitat. This species that are not native to the land can disrupt the food web in that community. These species take control of the food web and endanger some of the other species. The native species become endangered and over the course of many years they either adapt to their new way or life, the foreign predator leaves or is killed off due to the different environment, or the species is killed off and becomes extinct. Organizations like the “World Wild Li...
As biological Controls – *Birds are very helpful in controlling injurious crop pests. *There are a wide variety of insect eating birds. *Sparrow generally eat seeds of noxious weeds. *Birds of prey such as hawks, eagles and owls kill rodents, hare and ground squirrels etc which destroys the crops. *Birds can destroy up to 98% of over-wintering codling moth larvae, a major pest of apples worldwide. *No doubt, in the absence ofbirds, many of these insects may become even greater pests, destroying our agricultural and forestry crops. As key stone species –*Some birds are considered keystone species as their presence in (or disappearance from) an ecosystem affects other species indirectly. *For example, woodpeckers create cavities that are then used by many other species. *After the extinction of the dodo, it was discovered that a tree whose fruits had been a primary food item of the dodo was unable to reproduce without its seeds passing through the dodos’ digestive tracts, which process scarified the seed coat and enabled