Riley Jensen

Newport
English 102
4/20/17

The Adverse Effects of Artificially Introduced Species

Background;

Charles Darwins voyage and subsequently his theory of evolution

transformed the field of biology. By defying the preexisting ideas of creation, he

revolutionized the way in which science can challenge religion. His theory has

accounted for the death and, ultimately the extinction of thousands of species as

they have not been able to adapt to various changing conditions. One of the major

causes has been changing ecosystems. As ecosystems change, the food web mirrors

it, leading to the extinction of niche species that are displaced. One way the

ecosystems have been transformed is through humans introducing new species.

Although some may argue natural selection is the cause, the extinction of many

species is caused by human interference, through intentionally introducing invasive

species by means of farming, biological controls, conservation, and economic gain.

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Riley Jensen
Newport
English 102
4/20/17
Intentional artificial introduction is the process of humans transporting a

population of a species into a new ecosystem in hopes they will adapt to inhabit

their new surroundings. It is not when a species migrates due to climate change or

habitat loss. It can be compared to vaccines; a small sample is purposely introduced

to serve a specific purpose, but it contrasts as vaccines have well documented

effects.

Economic Prosperity;

The tributary, river, and lake system of North American offer a very diverse

ecosystem that is now in danger of failing due to the intentional introduction of

asian carp as a means of economic prosperity. The asian carp was originally brought

over to filter the water of fish farms in southern states in the 1980s, but quickly

spread to the greater waterways of the Mississippi River through major flooding.

Asian carp are now found as far north as Minnesota and into Canada (Federation).

The issue posed by the invasion of Asian Carp stems from the fragile nature

of the ecosystem. The Asian Carp have successfully bred to the point where the

population is larger than many native species. The large population, coupled with

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Newport
English 102
4/20/17
the fact that asian carp consume up to 20% of their bodyweight per day

(Federation par 3), means they are depleting resources that other fish traditionally

depended on. Through this competition for scarce resources, Asian Carp are causing

the extinction of other fish species. This drastic change in the food chain will have a

ripple effect throughout the ecosystem, raising the question on the usefulness of

artificially introduced species.

The Asian Carp are also a concern because they react to vibrations in the

water much differently than most fish. When startled, they jump out of the water

and into the air, giving them the nickname jumping carp. This causes issues

because boat engines send these vibrations through the water and hundreds of the

asian carp jump out of the water at once. The carp are a nuisance to boaters and

potentially a safety hazard too.

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Riley Jensen
Newport
English 102
4/20/17
The effects of the asian carp are being felt in many of the waterways of North

America and are moving steadily closer to the Great Lakes, as seen by the red dots

in the figure below. This causes great distress from scientists because the Great

Lakes are some of the most biologically rich areas in the world. If the asian

carp reach them, it could potentially endanger hundreds of species. Due to this

concern, there are many steps being taken to ensure the safety of the Great Lakes

including electric barriers put in place by the US Army (Federation).

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Riley Jensen
Newport
English 102
4/20/17

Farming;

As agriculture expands into new regions, it brings a multitude of animals

with it that can alter the surrounding ecosystem. The animals are primarily self

contained and reproduce at a rate so as to maintain population instead of expand it.

The repercussions of this may not seem as significant as the Asian Carp where the

native species are being overthrown, but instead, grazing farm animals can deplete

entire grasslands of the source of its name; grass.

Sheep in particular have a profound impact on the landscapes they are

introduced to and can desolate an entire pasture extremely quickly. Native to

Europe, sheep were among some of the first animals to become domesticated and

therefore some of the earliest animals to be introduced to a new environment. They

are used for a variety of reasons in agriculture, mainly for their wool. The eating

habits of sheep are what cause it to be a detriment to the ecosystems they are

introduced to. As a grazing animal, sheep roam their environment, eating all of the

grasses, shrubs, weeds, and leaves that they encounter. Because the herds of sheep

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Newport
English 102
4/20/17
have such an expansive palette, they can clear up to an acre per day (UW Extension

Publication A3529).

The drastic change sheep can cause to a landscape can cause it to be

extremely difficult for other species to find the food they rely on for survival. It

becomes increasingly more difficult for food chains to have continued success as

those animals who eat the vegetation find food to be more scarce, and those who

prey on these herbivores in turn find it extremely challenging to meet their dietary

needs. This negative effect on native species raises the question on the morality of

introducing species for aid agricultural purposes.

Biological control;

Introducing the cane toad to Australia for use as a biological control has

caused many native species of snakes to suffer unintentionally. The main cause for

importing a species for use as a biological control is to aid in managing the

population of a pest species. The intention of bringing in a biological control is that

they will prey on the pest and eradicate the problems stemming from the pest. The

cane toad was introduced as a biological control to combat the greyback beetle that

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Riley Jensen
Newport
English 102
4/20/17
was destroying the sugar cane crops of many farmers. The hope was that the cane

toad would form a niche in the food web consuming greyback beetles, but a problem

arose because, the Greyback beetle tends to be out during the daytime and Cane

toads feed at night. The two species are not seasonally compatible either, so are not

in the same place at the same time of year (Georgia 1).

With the cane toad unable to consume the greyback beetles, they were forced

to migrate to a wetter habitat. In their new habitat, they caused issues with the

food web. In a study done by Gregory P Brown, the effects cane toads had on 5

species of tropical snakes were examined. The results from the field study concluded

that the cane toad had a negative impact on the population of all species of snakes

that were researched. The cause for this decline in population can be attributed to a

number of factors stemming from cane toad introduction.

The main reason is cane toads and snakes shared much of the same prey and

when cane toads came into the ecosystem, there was not an adequate level of food to

sustain a large snake population anymore. Another factor was the cane toads

poisonous pores on its back. It was found the snakes would attempt to prey on

smaller cane toads and would subsequently die after coming into contact with their

toxins (Brown 2). Although biocontrols can help with maintaining pest populations,

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Riley Jensen
Newport
English 102
4/20/17
the adverse effects can be felt when the biocontrol species itself is introduced. After

it is introduced to its new ecosystem, it becomes part of the food web and can have

effects that are detrimental to native species as well as the ecosystem as a whole.

The adverse impacts that biological controls have lead to scepticism of their true

usefulness to society.

Reintroduction;

There have been thousands of species that have gone extinct due to

environmental causes, but a large number of extinct species were a direct cause of

poaching. The rise in price of animals fur, meat, and horns led to a period of

extreme over hunting of many species native to North America. The effects of

hunting can be felt in many populations still to this day and there are efforts to

replenish these populations through reintroduction. The grey wolf was victim to

hunting for its fur and because it attacked livestock, becoming a nuisance to

farmers and has since been a target species for reintroduction to its natural habitat.

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Riley Jensen
Newport
English 102
4/20/17
In perhaps the most famous nature preserve, Yellowstone National Park, the

grey wolves were reintroduced in efforts to increase their population in the US. The

grey wolf was killed off in many parts of North America in the 1930s and in the

years following. In the years following, elk populations boomed due to the absence

of wolves (taking) a huge amount of predatory pressure off the elk (Farquhar). With

wolves gone, elk were free to grow in population and able to consume a greater

amount of willow stands near the river. The lack of the willow had an effect on

beaver dams because they were primarily comprised of willow stands. Beaver dams

traditionally served the key role of controlling the water levels, but with the

decrease in willows, the dams became scarce and water levels rose.

When the grey wolf was reintroduced into Yellowstone in 1995, there was a

drastic change in the entire parks ecosystem. The elk population decreased to

healthier levels, the willow stands become more prominent along the shoreline, and

the beaver population grew exponentially. Yellowstone scientists summed up the

event by saying, the reintroduction of wolves continues to astonish biologists with a

ripple of direct and indirect consequences throughout the ecosystem (Farquhar).

The success of the reintroduction of wolves illustrates the harm introducing new

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Newport
English 102
4/20/17
species can have and furthers the argument that artificially introduced species do

not have

How to

combat

invasive

species;

With all the

negative aspects to

artificially introducing

species into new

ecosystems, there has

been much research to prevent further damage. Because the impacts of invasive

species are eventually expected to be severe throughout all ecosystems (Sakai 306),

it is imperative to get an understanding of how to prevent, and ultimately reverse

the effects these species have. In Ann Sakais research, she discovers that invasive

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Newport
English 102
4/20/17
species typically follow a pattern of being introduced. If the particular species is

known to be in an early stage, then it is possible to stop any further progress of the

invasion. The figure above shows the clear steps of how an invasive species can

obtain a permanent niche in the ecosystem.

The Opposition;

Although there are clearly adverse effects to introducing species to new

environments, some argue that the benefits outweigh the negatives. The

repercussions of artificially introduced species can be seen on the impacted global

agriculture market. A study done at Cornell University found that artificially

introduced species now provide nearly 98% of the U.S. food system with a value of

over $800 billion per year (Pimentel). This shows the economic dependence that

many food companies have on nonnative species such as cows, pigs, sweet corn, and

many of the major cash crops.

Another supporting group for artificially introduced species claims that the

needs of humans outweighs the negative impact it has on the ecosystems. They cite

the cause 2017 California drought as their evidence. One of the major sources for

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Newport
English 102
4/20/17
the drought is the government policy that prioritized environmental demands

above the basic provision of water resources to the public (Greenhut 1). It was a

scenario where extensive amounts of water were used to protect fish populations

that were put in danger by artificially introduced species. The allocation of this

water to preserve fish means it could not be used as a backup reservoir in times of

drought.

Conclusion;

With invasive species being detrimental to natural ecosystems, the issue

should be an event which humans attempt to avoid. It is not progress to introduce a

species to a new habitat if it has long lasting, negative effects on the entire

ecosystem. Although some may argue natural selection is the cause, the extinction

of many species are caused by human interference, through intentionally

introducing invasive species by means of farming, biocontrols, conservation, and

economic gain. The numerous negative impacts that the invasive species have

significantly outweigh the positive benefits that they can have on the natural

environment.

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Riley Jensen
Newport
English 102
4/20/17
In order to reverse the damages done by artificially introduced species, there

needs to be a movement to increase awareness of this ecological injustice. The

changes that introduced species have on the environment as a whole could

potentially be a contributing factor to global warming, which would help draw

attention to this issue. If there was a movement, it would likely be headed by animal

rights activists. The claim could be humans abused their power over species by

introducing them to a new environment, often times for personal gain. This could be

a powerful shift in the ways humans are allowed to interact with the environment

including the plants and animals that rely on the environment for the survival of

their species. Action needs to be taken to protect the earth from mankind so it is

preserved for future generations.

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