Invasive Species Managment: The Greater Everglades Ecosystem

Invasive Species

The world is under attack; by aliens from our own planet. These aliens are known as invasive species. Government agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) have identified invasive species as living organisms that are not native to an ecosystem and their introduction can cause harm to the environment, infrastructure, and people. When these creatures are in their natural ecosystem they can be held in check by predators and other organisms that have evolved to deal with them. Without these opponents invasive species can and will cause economic and biological damage to the area they are introduced to. Invasive species can affect anyone and anything and they must be stopped. In order to stop them there must be a strict invasive species management program.

Invasive species are a widespread problem throughout the world. Some of the more famous invasive species in the United States are the Emerald Ash Borer, the Asian Carp, and the Africanized Honey Bee. Invasive species cause extreme amounts of damage to wildlife and the economy. By 2019, it is estimated that the Emerald Ash Borer will have costed the United States $10.7 billion (Kovacs et al, 2010). A textbook example of an invasive species is the brown tree snake on the island of Guam. It has driven ten of the twelve native forest bird species there to extinction. With few predators, they have an estimated population density of over 3,000 snakes per square mile (University of Washington 2008). Like other invasive species the problems the brown tree snake causes do not just stop there. They are often cause for power outages on the island after they slither on to power lines.

Cost

In the United States ...

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...e threat of invasive species without the help of a strict invasive species management program. Invasive species cause great harm to the ecosystem by competing for the same food sources as native species including prey animals. Even invasive plants harm the ecosystem by stopping the growth of native plants. There have been many efforts to stop invasive species from harming the Everglades, such the inclusion of large constrictor snakes in the Lacey Act and the creation of the Python Patrol. Although, these measures are not sufficient because they are reactionary. The most effective way to fight invasive species is to stop them from entering the country to begin with. That way they will never get close to the areas that they could harm. To truly stop invasive species government legislation must reflect this. Invasive species are a threat that can be eliminated.