Details on Invasive Alien Species

Species that are introduced into new places that are able to adapt, become established, breed, and expand, colonising the environment, forming new populations, and having an impact on biodiversity, health, and the economy are considered to be invasive alien species.These can result in a wide variety of issues, such as acting as predators, which stunts the development of native species.Altering habitats, which results in alterations to the soil’s physical and chemical composition.Competing with native species for food and space; hybridising with native species and introducing new parasites and diseases.A biological invasion can also have an effect on human health for a number of reasons, including the fact that many species can spread disease, trigger allergic reactions, and even be toxic.The effects on the economy can be severe, bringing about a decline in, or even the end of, some economic activities such as fishing, cattle breeding, crop cultivation, and tourism, as well as causing damage to those industries.There are certain introduced species that do not go on to cause problems. Some of them are incapable of adapting to their new environment or spreading freely, as is the case with many farm animals and garden plants.Therefore, they do not pose a threat to the area.Other individuals are able to adapt to their new environment and spread freely. Others, like potatoes and corn, are able to adapt to their environment and spread without causing any harm to the ecosystem, and they eventually become established species.

Effect of introduction of foreign species

Invasive Alien Species may also have significant repercussions on the socioeconomic system.Because of the impact that Invasive Alien Species has on human health, as well as the damage it does to infrastructure and the losses it causes in agriculture, the European Union (EU) sustains annual damages totaling 12 billion EUR.There are around 12,000 foreign species in Europe, and approximately 15% of them are considered invasive. The introduction of Invasive Alien Species ranks as the third most significant hazard to endangered species in Europe. According to a report that was published in 2015, Invasive Alien Species is responsible for the extinction of 354 vulnerable species in Europe, including 229 animal species, 124 plant species, and one fungus. This represents 19 percent of all threatened species in Europe.

The recently approved EU Biodiversity Strategy emphasises the significance of addressing this risk by reiterating the need to “manage established invasive alien species and decrease the number of Red List species they threaten by fifty percent” by the year 2030. This objective is part of the strategy’s overall goal to increase biodiversity across the EU.

Characteristics of invasive alien species

An imported species that quickly becomes overpopulated and causes damage to the ecosystem in which it lives is known as an invasive species. Although the majority of introduced species are either neutral or beneficial to other species, invasive species have a negative impact on habitats and bioregions, leading to ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial to other species. This term refers to native species that, within their native distribution, have become dangerous due to human modifications of habitat and the environment.The purple sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus), which is an example of a native species that has become invasive, is one such example.This species is responsible for the destruction of kelp forests along the northern California coast because of the overharvesting of its natural predator, the 

California sea otter (Enhydra lutris).

Since the beginning of the 20th century, invasive species have evolved into a significant risk for the economy, society, and the environment.Any non-native species that significantly alters or disrupts the ecosystems it colonises is considered an invasive species.

Invasive species are sometimes referred to as introduced species, alien species, or exotic species. 

These species might make their way to new regions through natural migration, but more often than not, they are brought there by the actions of other species.

Examples of  invasive alien species

There is a vast list of insects, animals, and plants that have become so widespread that they are putting an endangerment on the world’s biodiversity. 

The following is a list of a few of them:

• The domesticated American mink (Neovison vison).

This little animal has a negative impact on a wide variety of endangered amphibians, fish, and mammals, such as the European mink, which has been pushed to the brink of extinction as a result of its activities.

• Hottentot fig (Carpobrotus edulis).

This plant is native to Peru, and due to the alluring appearance of its blossoms, it is frequently used as a plant in decorative settings. However, because it is taking up the space that was formerly occupied by the original vegetation, its expansion is a barrier to the establishment of other species.

• Zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha).

This species has an extremely high rate of reproduction and can swiftly spread throughout an area, wreaking havoc on ecosystems and its inhabitants as well as posing a threat to urban, agricultural, and industrial water supply systems by clogging filters and pipes.

• Crayfish of the red swamp (Procambarus clarkii)

Because of its voracious appetite, this crayfish poses a risk to the fish, amphibians, and aquatic invertebrates in its environment. In addition to that, it harbours parasites, heavy metals, and poisons, and it causes damage to rice fields.

• arrowroot native to East Asia (Pueraria montana lobata).

This climbing plant from Japan can be found in a variety of very different locations, such as the Caucasus, southern Africa, Switzerland, Italy, and Canada. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) considers it to be one of the species that poses the greatest threat to the environment.

Conclusion

The introduction of new creatures into ecosystems that have been there for a long time is a natural occurrence.However, the rate, scale, and geographic range of invasions have been dramatically boosted as a result of human facilitation. Beginning with their earliest migrations, accelerating throughout the age of discovery, and speeding once more with international trade, humans have been serving as both accidental and deliberate dispersal agents for millennia. This began with their early migrations and has continued ever since.

The kudzu vine, also known as the kudzu vine, the Andean pampas grass, English ivy, Japanese knotweed, and yellow starthistle are all examples of invasive plant species. The New Zealand mud snail, the feral pig, the European rabbit, the grey squirrel, the domestic cat, the carp, and the ferret are all examples of animals that fit this description.However, a widespread appreciation of humans’ learning capacity as well as their behavioural potential and plasticity argues against any such fixed categorization. Some popular reference sources now designate Homo sapiens, especially modern-age humans, as an invasive species.