Invasive Species: A Geographical Problem (Sean Dufort)

Invasive species are a relatively unknown problem to the general public. Most people would not even know if they walked by a type of plant that is supposed to be from South American and not here, or a bird from Europe that is here pushing out other natives species of birds. However, something even less known to most people is that invasive species can alter landscapes.  In research by Purdue University, it is stated that invasive species can "alter sedimentation rates and change stream channels; insects can modify a landscape by building mounds and burrowing; and animals can accelerate erosion by digging and trampling vegetation." Truthfully, I have taken environmental courses before this class, and not once have I heard of invasive species changing the geography of a place. People being unaware of this is not good for the environment. In this research by Purdue, there is a good example of this. "The review showed that areas where land and water systems overlap -- such as wetlands, salt marshes, coastal beaches and dunes -- are particularly vulnerable to invasive species. The dynamic nature of these areas contribute to the speed and scale with which non-native species can transform the landscape and ecology. [Songlin Fei] pointed to the example of Spartina grass, also known as cordgrass, which was intentionally introduced not coastal mudflats to prevent erosion. In China, the grass quickly transformed about 432 square miles of coastline into salt marshes. 'You basically lose your beach in about a decade,' Fei said." This change in landscape from these invasive species is a problem, and must be fixed. It was already known that many invasive species push out native species, and even some into extinction, and the news of this geographical problem shows that this problem needs to be addressed even sooner rather than later.

This problem relates to our course of "Principles of Ecology" because these findings of how invasive species change the landscape around them is a prime example of how species interact with their environment. This relationship between organisms and their environment, both biotic and abiotic, is very important and a main theme in our course. This negative relationship between these species and, other natives or the environment, is a major study in both environmental science and ecology, and something that we could look at as a class at some point during the semester.

I found this problem very interesting to read about. As I had stated early, I've taken some environmental classes before and studied invasive species but I had never heard of them changing the landscape around them or anything like that. So reading this research and putting it with the other past things I have learned about invasive species that they do negatively, it makes me feel with even more certainty that this issue needs to be addressed even more than it already is.

Works Cited

Purdue, University. "Invasive Species Can Dramatically Alter Landscapes, Study Shows." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 11 December 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141211115522.htm>.

Picture credit:

http://www.wilx.com/home/headlines/MSU-App-Tracks-Invasive-Species-287625121.html