Negative Effects Of Invasive Species

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Are invasive species harmful or beneficial for an ecosystem? Invasive species can have an overall negative or positive effect on the environment around them. It is easy to create a bias in viewpoints when looking into different topics of invasive species. Many people believe invasive species are destructive to the environment they inhabit. While, others believe they take on new beneficial roles that benefit the resources around them. As you look at the influential features of different invasive species it will open up insight on whether or not invasive species are beneficial for an eco-system.
An invasive species can be defined as an organism that is introduced into a new, non-native environment. Invasive species are often described as an …show more content…

Invasive species affect biodiversity as well as habitat eco structure in the environment. The highest threat invasive species pose to biodiversity is the threat on endangered species. Nearly 50 percent of the 1,900 endangered species are endangered because of invasive species and the ways in which it can alter an ecosystem. Invasive species are currently the second leading threat to biodiversity. Invasive species alone, have a stronger negative affect on biodiversity than forest clearing, disease and pollution combined. For example, the Nile perch is a species of fish that was introduced to Lake Victoria as another resource for food. This new non-native fish quickly became a devastating predator and has eliminated over one hundred species of fish. The Nile perch was able to do this because they reproduced rapidly and they could out compete native fish for habitat and food. Invasive species are aggressive species that can control a newly introduced ecosystem by spreading quickly and taking over the …show more content…

The Asian oyster is an invasive species that helps benefit the ecosystem it inhabits. The Asian oyster filters out water pollutants, improving the water quality they live in. They also grow fast and prevent disease which can allow the oyster industry to revitalize. Often, efforts will be made to remove an invasive species, which can have a negative effect on an ecosystem with a newly adapted balance. These attempts funded by the government to remove a species could just be a waste of tax dollars and

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