Invasive species project

1. Invasive species project 4/2/2019 Omar Johnson

2. Asian carp • The Asian carp is originally from Eastern Russia and china. They were also introduced to North America and Europe. • The Asian carp were brought over for sport fishing, pet trade, and food. • They are a problem not just because they are huge and have a big appetite but they also reproduce fast, and will eat all the natives fish food, they will also eat other fish species eggs.

3. Zebra Mussel • The Zebra Mussels are native to black, Caspian, Aral, and Azov seas. They were introduced Russia, Europe, and north America. • They were brought here in ballast water which is water that is carried by ships to help keep them balanced, they also attached them selves to boats. • They are a problem because the population numbers grow fast and massive populations of Zebra mussels will filtering the water could be a bad impact on the native plankton and that will also means less food for fish.

4. Cane toad • The cane toad is originally from the northern south America and Mexico. • They were introduce to warm climate countries like Australia. They were brought over to successfully control crop pests. • The cane toad contain a toxic ooze, while the predators that are in their native habitat they are immune to the toxic but other predators aren’t immune to this toxic. Their population has also massively increased in non native habitats they are taking over plant populations and on native animals.

5. European starling • They are native to Asia, northern Africa and Europe. They were introduced to Southern Africa, New Zealand, Australia and North America. • They were brought over to help with pest control and by a group of people that were trying to all the birds mentioned in Shakespeare's work. • They eat all the fruit and grains, and that can cause serious damage to farms. They are also very aggressive they will fight native birds for the territory and food. They will even take over native birds nests.

6. The European/common rabbit • Its native to southern Europe and north Africa. They introduced to all continents except for Antarctica and Asia. • They were brought over as a food source and to remind the people of the country they came from. • Rabbits reproduce very quickly in one year one female can have between 18-30 babies. Their population increase so much they have eaten so much that they have almost eaten all the native plants in certain areas.

7. The kudzu • Native to eastern Asia and some Pacific islands, they were introduced to Europe and North America. • They were brought here to be sold as a plant for gardens. • The kudzu is an aggressive vine that can expand quickly and smothers other plants to the point were they don’t have any access to sunlight, they also grow up to 26 cm a day. They will even kill mature trees which will prevent the native plants from growing and there will be changes in the ecosystem.

8. Asian long-horned beetle • They are native to japan, china, and Korea, they were introduced to North America and Europe. • They were brought over in shipments wooden packaging materials and lumber. • They eat soft sappy bark and that makes it hard for nutrients to reach other parts of the tree and as they grow the larvae burrow is in the middle of the tree leaving tunnels in the tree as they move which will also make the tree weaker. • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-t0wo_z9K8

9. Small Indian mongoose • They are native to the southeast, they were introduced to Asia, central America, and south America. • They were brought over to help out with pest control for snakes and rats. • They are an aggressive species and they are blamed for some animals extinction and or making a species an endangered species. They also have rabies and other human diseases.

10. Northern pacific sea star • Native to the waters around china, japan, and Korea, they were intro they were brought in ballast water and they can attach themselves to boats. • They are aggressive eaters they will eat anything they can find to make it worse they produce very quickly. In one are were they were first introduced there number was estimated around 12 million sea stars, they have also been blamed for critically endangering the spotted fish.

11. Water hyacinth • They are native to the amazon basin and water ways of western brazil, and south America. They were introduced to Asia, Africa, north America, new Zealand, and Australia. • They were brought over to be used as a decorative plant and for animal food, they have also got stuck on boats. • They are fast growing plant, they were found in about 50 countries and in the right conditions they can double their size in about 6 days.