Invasive Species

People frequently use the term “non-native” to refer to both plants and animals that have been moved to a new site from their original home.

Some non-native creatures are able to integrate quite well into their new habitat and do no damage whatsoever, but others can have significant negative consequences on the place they have come to call home. Because of the disruptive impact these organisms have on their environments, they are classified as invasive species. 

Invasive species are defined by federal law in the United States as species that are not native to the ecosystem in question and whose introduction causes economic harm, environmental harm, or harm to human health. 

Plants, animals, and even other kinds of life like microorganisms can fall under the category of invasive species. On Earth, they can be found in every imaginable environment, including the houses of humans.

Spread of Invasive species in modern world

In recent decades, there has been a rise in the number of invasive species as a direct result of the rapid expansion of global transportation.

In the same way that new technology made it simpler for people to travel all over the world, they also made it simpler for invasive species to disperse themselves across the globe.

Some invasive species have been unintentionally introduced to new ecosystems, such as those that have hitched a ride on boats and made their way across the ocean without anybody noticing. 

Other invasive species are spread by humans unintentionally when they travel and want to bring something from their trip back home with them, or when they plant flowers or bushes because they like the way they look. No of the means by which an invasive species enters a new ecosystem, the introduction of that species is almost certainly the direct result of human activity.

Fortuitously, the United States of America and the rest of the world are both home to hundreds of other examples of invasive species. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that there are more than 50,000 species found in the United States that are not native to the country of them, more than 4,300 are considered to be invasive.

In point of fact, invasive species are regarded as such a problem that in 1999, the White House established the National Unwanted Species Council (NISC). 

 NISC’s primary mission is to identify and eliminate invasive species.

Invasive species characteristics

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. 

It is generally accepted that human activities, such as those involved in international trade and the exchange of pets, are the most prevalent means by which invasive species of plants, animals, microorganisms, and other organisms are carried to new ecosystems.

Because they lack the evolutionary adaptations necessary to respond to the challenges presented by their new environments, the majority of imported species do not survive for extended periods of time after being introduced into new ecosystems. Some introduced species have the potential to become invasive if they have an inherent advantage in their ability to compete against native species in the places they have invaded. 

It is possible for newcomers to establish reproductive colonies and flourish under these conditions, which is especially true if the ecosystem does not contain any natural predators that are able to keep them in check. 

The ecological disruption that typically follows such incursions typically results in a reduction in the biodiversity of the ecosystem and causes economic hardship to those who are economically dependent on the biological resources of the ecosystem.

Plants belonging to invasive species

According to studies, once established, invasive plants have the potential to outcompete native flora in a number of ways. They are able to colonise the environments in which native plants thrive, successfully driving away the species that were there first.

Because of their allelopathic properties, which involve the production of biochemicals that inhibit the germination and growth of other species in the soil nearby, as well as the disruption of underground mutualistic relationships with fungi, certain species are able to inhibit the growth of native tree seedlings. The risk of wildfires and soil erosion is also increased by certain invasive plant species. 

Although there is some uncertainty over the precise quantity, it is believed that India is home to more than 200 kinds of invasive species (a 2017 study lists India as one of the regions with the highest number of invasive flora in the world). 

Lantana, parthenium, Siam weed, Mexican devil (Ageratina adenophora), and mesquite are some of the most infamous non-native species that have become established in India (Prosopis juliflora). Both the water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and the alligator weed (Alternanthera philoxeroides) are invasive species that can be found in India. The water hyacinth is found in inland water bodies, while the alligator weed is found in both aquatic and terrestrial habitats.

Conclusion

Invasive species have the potential to change their environment in a number of ways, including the release of chemical compounds, the modification of abiotic factors, and the modification of the behaviour of herbivores. 

These changes can have either a positive or negative effect on the other species in the ecosystem. Some plant species, such as Kalanchoe daigremontiana, are known to produce allelopathic substances.

These chemicals have the potential to impede the growth of competing plant species and to influence certain soil processes, such as the mineralization of carbon and nitrogen. 

Other species, such as Stapelia gigantea, make it easier for other species to recruit seedlings in arid habitats by creating the right microclimatic conditions and warding off herbivory during the early phases of plant growth.