Invasive Species Essay
Invasive species seriously threaten our current way of life by
interrupting and destroying ecosystems that we rely on for nutrition, emissions
control, and recreation. In their native habitat, these species are a part of an
age-old ecosystem; they have prey to consume as well as predators to keep them
in check. When these species are transported to a foreign ecosystem, however,
they may not have any natural predators to control them. As such, they can run
rampant, rapidly breeding and consuming natural resources. In just a short
period of time, an invasive species can totally destroy an ecosystem.
This vicious progression of events is something that everyone can agree
should be prevented. Before we can even attempt to reduce the spread of invasive
species, however, we need to recognize why they arrive in a new ecosystem in the
first place. In almost every single case, humans have been the primary factor in
spreading species. Commonly, they are purchased from an overseas vendor by a
private citizen. A perfect example of this phenomenon is the Asian Carp, which
was brought in by a catfish farmer to control algae growth in his ponds.
Unfortunately, the ponds flooded, releasing Asian Carp into area waterways.
There they flourished and, in the process, destroyed most of the local flora and
fauna.
Other causes of the spread of invasive species, however, are much less
intentional. Zebra mussels, for example, attach themselves to the undersides of
boats or ships, traveling with the ship until they are scrapped off. This has
caused them to be propagated throughout American waterways, even though they are
indigenous to the streams of southern Russia. These examples highlight a very
important aspect of invasive species propagation: Human involvement. Without
humans, species would very rarely, if ever, travel from their native land to a
new location. Although we are the cause of this problem, we can also be the
solution. If we would only implement new laws and practices, we could prevent
further spread of invasive species. Cleansing of currently infected areas would
be a much more arduous and fiscally burdensome task. However, it is an
imperative if we wish to stamp out the plague of invasive species forever.
Many people may see the expenditure of hundreds of millions of dollars,
and the minor limiting of personal freedoms as an “overreaction” to invasive
species. “Why bother trying to stop it if they are already here?” They may say.
To answer this question, one must only contemplate the implications of invasive
species being allowed to spread uncheck for the next, say, 25 to 50 years. If we
allow these dangerous species to continue, they will inevitably spread to almost
every available ecosystem in the United States. Not only would this devastate
all local life, but it would have a profound impact of our civilization as well.
We may face widespread food shortages from invasive pests consuming our crops.
We could see mass extinctions of native species, as well as reduced tourism
income from destroyed recreation areas. These factors, combined with the myriad
other adverse effects of invasive species, should convince even the most ardent
opponents that invasive species are a problem that we must immediately commit
resources to solving.