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The Accidental Invasion

Invasive species are defined as species that alter or destroy a habitat that they are not

native to (Invasive Species). Humans are a species not native to anywhere but Africa

(Introduction to Human Evolution) and have spread all around the world while destroying most

habitats they occupy. they occupy. Does that make the human race the most destructive invasive

species in the history of the world? I thought about this as I was watching a documentary about

invasive species. After I heard the definition, I further recognized that we also cause invasive

species to spread around the world. I’ve always loved documentaries about animals and science.

I would spend most of my mornings before school watching them. I have always loved animals

and science, and I had always thought humans were helping habitats and species survive. I

eventually learned we were not helping and that we have caused the spread of countless species

around the world either by accident or on purpose to help ourselves. This made me ask the

question, “how integral is the role of humans in spreading these invasive species and how big of

an impact does this cause”?

First, we need to talk about the leading cause of the spread of invasive species which are

humans. Most introduced species are spread because they have some recognized benefit to

society. These introduced species are deemed invasive when they start to cause damage to

property or habitats. One such example is Kudzu, which the U.S government and many

companies such as the Central of Georgia Railroad recommended to farmers to help stop soil

from being deteriorated by wind and water (Blaustein, Richard J.). Kudzu is now classified as an

invasive species, and grows out of control in the Southeastern United States, and chokes out

many native plants (Blaustein, Richard J.). This vine can grow a foot day in the early summer

and sixty feet in a single season, which makes it almost impossible to control. This rapid growth
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allows it to outgrow any native plant and block them from needed resources. Research has been

done on the damage caused by Kudzu in the U.S and found, “the economic cost of kudzu totals

as much as one hundred million dollars of damage annually due to lost productivity” (Harron,

Paulina). This demonstrates how much damage a single invasive species is and how quickly it

can spread knowing that Kudzu has appeared in almost half of the U.S.

Another cause of a species being brought in to benefit humanity and then becoming

invasive is the feral swine, which are offspring of escaped domesticated pigs. They were first

brought to the U.S. in the 1500s as a food source for humans, and free-range practices and

enclosure escapees led to their establishment in the wild (USDA APHIS). The Eurasian or

Russian wild boar was also introduced to the US for sports hunting which led to even more feral

swine being in the US (USDA APHIS). They are believed to have a population of over 6 million

and are repopulating incredibly fast and have been spotted in 35 states. This rapid spread is due

to a variety of factors which are, “their adaptability to a variety of climates and conditions,

translocation by humans, and a lack of natural predators” (“Feral Swine-Managing an Invasive

Species”). These swine also do an incredible amount of damage which is predicted to be

considerably higher than $1,500,000 worth of damage to property, agriculture, and the

environment every year. They will root and eat from crops, pastures, vineyards, and orchards;

they also affect the livestock by spreading diseases and parasites that can also spread to humans

and pets. Feral swine also greatly affect many animal species. They love to eat eggs and small

animals which threatens many species that are in danger of extinction. Feral swine are damaging

forest regeneration around the U.S as they love to eat nuts and seeds from trees making it much

harder for trees to regrow. This can make it harder for habitats to recover after wildfires.
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There are cases where people have introduced an exotic species to control an established

invasive species, and the introduced exotic species become invasive itself and cause further

damage to the native ecosystem and associated species. One example is the european red fox

which was meant to keep the european rabbit population in Australia under control. They did

provide some biological control benefit to the rabbit population, but they also have caused the

decline of small mammals, birds, and reptiles and are threatening seventy-four imperiled species.

The red fox has also caused damage to the economy as reported by Agriculture Victoria, “the

economic impact of foxes in Australia has been estimated at around $227.5 million per annum”

(Red Foxes- Agriculture). Most of the impact comes from their environmental impact on

imperiled species rehabilitation efforts, but sheep farmers have also lost approximately $18

million in revenue (Red Fox - Agriculture). This case study shows that even with good

intentions, we can still introduce a second invasive species to an environment without even

realizing it.

Most of the time invasive species come from the accidental spread by humans, who bring

plants or animals to another country or continent. One of these ways is when people release pets

on accident or purposefully, not realizing that they are creating an invasive species. We can see

this in the everglades where people were releasing Burmese pythons into the wild. After the

pythons were released their population exploded which then led to the decimation of rabbit

populations. They are perfect hunters for this habitat and researchers predict there are between

thirty thousand to more than three hundred thousand. They are a top predator in the everglades

and have decimated most mammal populations, and have disrupted the entire ecosystem (Alex

Robinson). This represents the pure destructive power that invasive species have on habitats.
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Even though the original spread was an accident with very few pythons it has exploded out of

control.

Another way invasive species spread accidentally is when invasive plant seeds are mixed

in with other seeds. Examples of these invasive plant seeds are the Russian Thistle or more

commonly referred to as the tumbleweed made famous by Western Films. Western Films have

created the misconception that tumbleweeds are native plants and are these small harmless

bushes when in reality they are a highly invasive plant and a huge problem for our Southwestern

deserts. This plant has spread to over one hundred million acres of the western U.S and has

caused countless problems for people and businesses. The reason for this mass spread and the

trouble with controlling them is that tumbleweeds detach from the ground when they’re ready to

reproduce. This reproductive strategy is very successful, as one tumbleweed can drop 251,000

seeds as it rolls along with the wind. They can travel, long distances spreading their seeds as they

move. They trap people in their homes, block roads, spread wildfires, and displace crops and

native plants. Their mass migrations are sometimes called avalanches. This reflects how big and

destructive these tumbleweeds are. Highway 240 in Washington State was once blocked off for

10 hours by tumbleweeds and trapped several drivers. The damage tumbleweeds cause is about

thirty-four billion dollars a year and the clean-up of tumbleweed is not easy because they get

caught in machines and catch fire. These issues make picking them up one by one more efficient

and less dangerous, even though it takes more time.

Sometimes species travel with humans on accident and without the transporters even

knowing. This is how the Zebra Mussels native to Europe came to the U.S as they got into ballast

water. This water is meant to balance empty cargo ships, but the water was then emptied in the

U.S and the Zebra Mussels were introduced and started to spread. They then quickly attached to
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many other smaller boats spreading to all of the great lakes and rivers that connected them. They

were also able to spread to the western states because the adults can survive in moist and cool

conditions out of the water. The mussels could stay on the hull of boats long enough to reach

California. They also multiply at an excessive rate where it is estimated that forty thousand to

one million eggs are released from a single female in a single spawning season (Benson). Zebra

mussels threaten many native mussels as they prefer to attach to live mussels rather than dead

ones and rocks. This stops the native mussels from being able to get food and the Zebra Mussels

latch on and kill them. Researchers have found some native mussels that have up to ten thousand

Zebra Mussels on their shells. Simultaneously with their threat towards native species, they have

“a potential economic impact of $5 billion to the US and Canada within the Great Lakes region

alone over the next decade” (“Zebra Mussels: a Dangerous Invader.”). These damages come

from them sticking onto man-made structures such as irrigation and water pipes which

eventually block water flow. They can also clog hydroelectric turbines in dams, decreasing

electricity production in these dams as well as damaging docks and boat engines.

I was able to talk with Donald R. Maclean on zoom, he is a biologist who works for the

Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) working for the fish and aquatic conservation program in a

branch called the branch of aquatic invasive species. He explained that “the program that we

[FWS] run is responsible for trying to prevent new introductions, of non-native and invasive

species into the US and to prevent the spread of ones that are already here” (Maclean). During

the discussion, we talked about zebra mussels and he told me about something that just

happened. He told me about algae that form in balls and are commonly put into aquariums for

decorations and they are called moss balls. Which are now being investigated as both Petco and

PetSmart have found zebra mussels inside of these moss balls which are now being pulled off the
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shelves at these chains around the nation (Maclean). The Fish and Wildlife Service has been on

alert and is still investigating these moss balls as they could have spread zebra mussels around

the US. Which could cause an unforeseeable amount of damage and it would dash the efforts of

the US to keep them from spreading. We were also ended talking about a tree frog in Hawaii

which has caused some problems for tourism in Hawaii and it’s called a coquí he described them

as, “about the size of the last digit of your thumb. its croak is over ninety decibels, which is

louder than a lawnmower” (Maclean). Maclean also told me that it’s messing the tourist industry

which is how Hawaii makes about 85% of their income as they croak and keep people up at

night, and they got to Hawaii on some house plants (Maclean).

After I finished researching these species and interviewing Mr. Maclean it amazed me

how much destruction just six invasive species can cause, knowing that there are forty-three

hundred known invasive species in the U.S alone. This staggering number is a testament to how

humans spread species around the world, and our continuous travel has transformed

environments on a global scale. We continue to drag along these species around the world on

accident or purpose. Even though humans have helped cause destruction with these invasive

species, this does not mean we are not doing anything to counteract the harm we have caused.

With invasive species, the U.S has numerous factors to consider on how to try to mitigate

and stop their spread and damaging effects. I was able to talk to Cindy A. Williams an Aquatic

Invasive Species & FIS Regional Coordinator for the Fish and Wildlife Service. I was able to ask

how does the FWS help to stop the spread of invasive species, she explained that the FWS,

“provides technical support for states… as states have more resources to control invasive

species” (Williams). She gave an example of this of how recently there were reports of

snakeheads appearing in a lake, the state then sent out a team to capture the snakeheads they
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believe they captured all of the snakeheads but to make sure they have sent samples of the water

that are still being analyzed to the FWS. Both Maclean and Williams said that more resources

would definitely help, as they spend a lot of the time talking about following the budget but

ultimately they support the budget they have as it is hard to fight for the budget they have.

Maclean also said that the FWS spends a lot of time stopping invasive species from getting into

the U.S or stopping more of that species from entering. They will ban or restrict the trade of

certain species to reduce the risk of an invasive species from entering because of the

international pet trade.

One such example is Burmese pythons which are controlled by hunting, Non-profits, and

the U.S government. The government allows the year-round hunting of the pythons with no limit

on how many snakes can be killed because they are trying to remove the population. There are

also Non-profits, usually supported by the government that helps to put radio trackers on

captured male Burmese pythons (Frazier. The non-profits do this to large groups of snakes that

are close because a female releases pheromones to attract mates, allowing the researchers to

capture females that can have up to 50-100 eggs (Frazier). The government will also track these

snakes, they have also made a free training course so people can identify and call in burmese

pythons and if need be these people can capture and kill the snake themselves. Though these

have done little to impact the number as, “the total snakes removed since the program’s inception

in 2017 to 6,278” (“Record Number of Burmese Pythons Removed from Everglades This

Year”). This is very little compared to the predicted population of one to three hundred thousand,

making this a small dent in the huge population that is constantly expanding.

With kudzu, the government does not do much and leaves it to businesses and people to

take care of it on their own. Kudzu can be controlled by cattle because they eat kudzu. Some
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people will rent a herd of goats that will eat weeds, poison ivy, and kudzu (Barr). The

government has labeled them a noxious weed and has developed a public training program on

how you can deal with this invasive species (Loewenstein). Luckily, there has been an invasive

species that help other plants compete with kudzu and they are called kudzu bugs. Kudzu bugs

will attach to kudzu stems and suck the sap out of the plant. These bugs are not able to kill kudzu

but they waste the plant’s precious resources making them grow slower and making other plants

have a chance of survival causing kudzu to become less of a threat (Loewenstein).

Tumbleweeds are still spreading and a lot of the government’s management is

reactionary cleaning up when the tumbleweeds are fully grown and moving. The government has

tried to use insects to attack tumbleweeds but none have succeeded, but there is research being

done with other insects to see if they can help control the tumbleweeds (Orloff). So the

government has instructions on how to help control tumbleweed populations for homeowners,

businesses, and farms. For homeowners, it is recommended to mow or destroy the weeds when

they are still young to prevent seed spread and tells homeowners to keep firm, watered land as it

makes it harder for tumbleweeds to compete with other plants. Businesses and farms are

recommended to use herbicides to kill off young tumbleweeds and there have been tumbleweeds

that have developed a resistance to certain herbicides so the government recommends changing

herbicides you use so they do not gain resistance (Orloff). Overall this has reduced the spread of

tumbleweeds and has affected their numbers but tumbleweeds still are spreading and causing

damage as herbicides can not stop all of them.

The government with feral swine is more proactive as they recommend many techniques

to capture and remove them from the environments they are damaging. They recommend

trapping and euthanizing feral swine, but this may not always be effective as swine are very
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clever and learn quickly to avoid capture techniques. They are also very strong and aggressive,

so therefore dangerous to handle (USDA, APHIS). They are also determined to avoid capture

and often escape enclosures once captured. The government additionally recommends

harassment that disrupts their behavior patterns and causes them to leave the affected area, but

this should be used as a last resort to stop damage as this just moves them to another area and

causes other methods of control to be less effective. They also try to get ranches and people to

vaccinate themselves and their animals, as feral swine can carry many parasites and diseases

which affect both humans and domesticated animals (USDA, APHIS). Hunters and the

government will usually use trapping which is usually a corral with doors that is used to capture

a whole group of swine, but you must follow your state guidelines carefully because if you fail to

capture the whole group the remaining swine will learn and avoid these traps altogether. Snares

and ground shooting are also used, but these are only used when there are only a few swine left

in an area or it’s rough terrain where the normal traps will not work. The reason ground shooting

is not recommended for large groups is that if only a few are killed it can affect the group

dynamics causing them to disperse into previously unoccupied habitat and potentially causing

more damage (USDA, APHIS). There is research into oral or injected contraceptives and poisons

that do not affect other species but none are, effective so far and research is continuing.

Zebra Mussels also have the U.S government on the defensive, mostly having to clean

up the mussels when they are blocking water flow in pipes and dams. There have only been two

successful molluscicides that kill zebra mussels and one other invasive species while leaving

most other native species unharmed. They are called Zequanox® and Earthtec QZ®, Earthtec

QZ has been used before in Virginia and the test was successful but there is not a lot of

information on how temperature affects these products (Luoma). There have also been laws put
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into place to help prevent the spread of zebra mussels, this forces boat owners to wash their boats

and to clear any kind of debris or they will be given a ticket.

The Australian government has gotten very proactive with dealing with these red foxes as

they do not want them spreading further or to the island around Australia. They have started

using baits with 1080 poison which they bury so native species do not find and eat the poison

while the foxes can still find the bait, and this is being proven to be effective as there have been

more sightings of native species in the areas where the poison has been set (Saunders). The

poison still kills native species so there is research to find an alternative poison that will only

affect foxes, and they will sometimes use fumigation in dens filling them with carbon monoxide

to clear out dens (Saunders). Fumigation in the end was very costly and was not as effective as

the traps so it is not used much anymore to combat the fox populations. The Australian

government also tells people with livestock like chickens to install fences meant to stop foxes to

deprive foxes of more resources (Saunders). There are so many different types of prevention of

the spread and the reproduction of a population, and many strategies have the government

relying on citizens to control these populations but at the same time I’ve only heard of one of

these species before and it was from a documentary.

While humans may be the ultimate and one of the most destructive invasive species on

Earth that spreads many invasive species, we cannot claim that they are not trying to remedy the

problems they created. But many of these remediation attempts may not be enough, as many of

these efforts barely affect the populations of invasive species. The case of Burmese pythons is a

perfect example of ineffective invasive species management, as most people do not even know

about this invasive species, and neither do they care. This makes governments less proactive

around the world as most people are unaffected or care, so most politicians do not care about
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dealing with invasive species. As if this continues many species will go extinct which could

have been avoided if there was more funding and more effort put into controlling these invasive

species. Damage to properties and businesses will continue to increase as time goes on as more

invasive species come and spread around the U.S. This is why we need people to be more

educated on this topic and have them be more vocal and want changes to happen as there is not

enough being done to stop the destruction caused by these invasive species.
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