Find a pest animal Find out more about established feral pests and pests that haven't yet become a problem alert pests. How to report a pest animal Early detection of alert pests is important so the animal can be destroyed before it becomes a problem. Managing pest animals. Legal requirements Information about the legal requirements to control pest animals. Using poisons Information about using poisons to control pest animals. Keeping declared animals Information on applying for permits and keeping pest or non-native animals.
Page Last Reviewed: 30 Apr Share this page. It must reproduce quickly. It must harm property, the economy , or the native plants and animals of the region. Many invasive species are introduced into a new region accidentally. Zebra mussels arrived in the Great Lakes of North America accidentally, stuck to large ships that traveled between the two regions.
There are now so many zebra mussels in the Great Lakes that they have threaten ed native species. Introduced Species Some species are brought to a new area on purpose.
Often, these species are introduced as a form of pest control. Other times, introduced species are brought in as pets or decorative displays. People and businesses that import these species do not anticipate the consequence s.
Even scientists are not always sure how a species will adapt to a new environment. Introduced species multiply too quickly and become invasive. The cats were introduced as pest control for mice. By , about 3, cats were living on the island, endangering the local bird population. Other invasive species descended from pets that escaped or were released into the wild. Many people have released pet Burmese pythons into the Everglades , a swampy area of south Florida.
The huge snakes can grow to 6 meters 20 feet long. Pythons, native to the jungles of southeast Asia, have few natural predator s in the Everglades. They feast on many local species, including white ibis and limpkin , two types of wading birds.
Invasive Species and the Local Environment Many invasive species thrive because they outcompete native species for food. Bighead and silver carp are two large species of fish that escaped from fish farms in the s and are now common in the Missouri River of North America. These fish feed on plankton , tiny organisms floating in the water. Many native fish species, such as paddlefish , also feed on plankton. The feeding cycle of the paddlefish is slower than that of the carp.
There are now so many carp in the lower Missouri River that paddlefish do not have enough food. Invasive species sometimes thrive because there are no predators that hunt them in the new location. Brown tree snake s were accidentally brought to Guam, an island in the South Pacific, in the late s or early s. No animals on Guam hunted the snakes, but the island was filled with birds, rodent s, and other small animals that the snakes hunt. Many invasive species destroy habitat , the places where other plants and animals naturally live.
Nutria are large rodents native to South America. Ranchers brought them to North America in the s, hoping to raise them for their fur. Some nutria were released into the wild when the ranchers failed. Nutria eat tall grasses and rush es. These plants are vital to the regions' marshy wetland s. They provide food, nesting sites, and shelter for many organisms. They also help secure sediment and soil , preventing the erosion of land.
Some invasive species do great harm to the economy. Water hyacinth is a plant native to South America that has become an invasive species in many parts of the world. People often introduce the plant, which grows in the water, because of its pretty flowers.
But the plant spreads quickly, often choking out native wildlife. In Lake Victoria, Uganda, water hyacinth grew so thickly that boats could not get through it. Some port s were closed. Water hyacinth prevented sunlight from reaching underwater.
Plants and algae could not grow, preventing fish from feeding and reproducing. Invasive species can also damage property.
Small zebra mussels clog the cooling systems in boat engines, while larger ones have damaged water pipes at power plants throughout the Great Lakes region. Eradicating Invasive Species Officials have used a variety of methods to try to eradicate , or get rid of, invasive species. The cats on Marion Island were infected with a virus , for instance. Sometimes other species are introduced to help control an invasive species.
In Australia, prickly pear cactus, which is native to the Americas, was growing out of control. Both varieties are excellent food sources in the fall for pollinators looking to stock up before winter. Each plant is adapted to keep the others in check and also provides habitat and food for many kinds of insects and animals. Riverview Nursery www. Heartland Restoration Services www.
How you manage your landscaping can have a big influence on the health of local waterways, including lakes, rivers and streams. Thoughtful landscaping helps prevent too many nutrients from entering the water and producing weeds and algae blooms! Field Notes. August 19, This post has been updated to include additional, relevant information about native and invasive species. It can become aggressive, similar to an invasive species.
Invasive : a species of plant or animal that outcompetes other species causing damage to an ecosystem. Non-native : a species that originated somewhere other than its current location and has been introduced to the area where it now lives also called exotic species. Did you know? Examples of invasive species.
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