Invasive species Flashcards
(13 cards)
What activities lead to habitat loss?
Logging, agriculture, urban development, roads, damming rivers, draining wetlands, mining, dredging sea floor
What are the effects of habitat loss?
Restricted ranges, fragmentation, barriers to movement, invasive species spread, sub-optimal habitat, increased edge habitat, human-wildlife conflict
What does light pollution affect?
Attracts insects, disrupts bird migration, hinders sea turtle nesting
How does plastic pollution harm organisms?
Mistaken for food, causes entanglement, contains microplastics that absorb toxins
How is pollution a threat?
Toxicity kills/weakens organisms
What are endocrine disruptors?
Chemicals that mimic hormones and affect development
What does noise pollution affect?
Disorients birds and whales; may cause whale beaching
What defines an invasive species?
Introduced by humans, self-sustaining, spreads, causes ecological/economic/health harm
What is the ‘rule of tens’?
10% of introduced species establish; 10% of those become invasive
What traits make non-native species more invasive?
Fast growth, many offspring, low care, low competition, generalist habits, many intro events, human-associated behavior
What ecosystem traits make them vulnerable to invasion?
Disturbance, many introductions, island habitats, predator naïveté
Is low biodiversity linked to invasions?
No strong evidence supports it
Which invasive group is most harmful to native species?
Mammals – especially rodents and feral mammals
