FIELD ECOLOGY JOURNAL the college school
Qualitative Analysis Invasive Species and Their Impact
Invasive species are a huge problem for ecosystems and native animals in the United States. Originally they were brought over by humans from other continents and released into the wild. Some were released on purpose while others were released by mistake. Invasive species compete for natural resources and are capable of causing the extinction of natives in the area. They are also responsible for causing loss and change of habitat as well as reducing biodiversity. For something to be considered an invasive species it must be able to do all these things to the environment in which it is invading. According to professionals, if invasive species are not eliminated, the ecosystem will most likely become much less diverse. Less diversity would make the ecosystem more prone to further disturbances such as diseases and natural disasters. (Ericson, 2012 ) Some examples of invasive species are Nutria and bush honeysuckle. The first example is the nutria, a large, web-footed rodent that lives mainly in the water. They were brought to the states by humans for their fur in the early 1900s but were released into the environment and soon became invasive. They live in wetland marshes and eat tall grasses and rushes. These plants are necessary for the survival of the wetlands. They are a source of food, nesting sites, shelter, and also help secure the soil. Without them, there could be massive erosion and many of the native organisms could starve from lack of food. (National Geographic, 2011) The other example is bush honeysuckle, which originated in Asia and was also brought over to the United States by humans. The bush is invasive and grows at a very fast rate, making it capable of easily outnumbering the natives in the area. If this invader continues to thrive, it will surely take over the region and greatly outnumber every native shrub living in it. (University of Missouri, 2015) Because of these species and many other invasives becoming more dominant the environment is becoming less and less diverse, and in some cases even more prone to things such as erosion and disease. For example, the nutria is destroying the environment by eating a plant that is a valuable resource in the biome. Without this plant, the marsh becomes more prone to erosion and all the animals that live there more prone to extinction without one of their main sources of food. (National Geographic, 2011) Qualitative data is a good tool for looking at human impact. Thanks to the research done through qualitative research, we can have a better understanding of what’s happening and people can take action and try to prevent these problems from becoming worse. 38
