[MODEL] Research Log #5 - Solutionary Project 2022

Date: March 2, 2022

Name: Christopher Ahmed
Essential Question: How can we control invasive species?

Three Points to Prove: #1: Invasive species cause problems for native ones.
#2: Feral pigs cannot be fully removed from Hawaii.
#3: Invasive species lack predators in Hawaii.

Point that this Source Proves: # 2 (modified): Invasive species cannot always be fully removed.

Excerpts (These should provide insight into the Point to Prove):

Early in the article, it is said that “Today there may be as many as 100,000 Burmese pythons living amid the
wetlands of South Florida, though no one really knows. Pythons can disappear when they want to, which is
most of the time.”

Later into the reading, the article states that “There are more than 50,000 alien species in the U.S., where
they’ve often been able to outcompete–or simply eat–native flora and fauna.”

A highly relevant quote from the article was “In her book The Sixth Extinction, Elizabeth Kolbert notes that
before humans arrived in Hawaii, the islands experienced about one successful invasion every 10,000 years.
Now Hawaii gets a new invasive species every month.”

Analysis (How does this source support the Point to Prove?):

The first quote may not seem relevant to Hawaii as we have not had a problem with Burmese pythons. However, I
have seen boa constrictors and brown tree snakes found in Hawaii, likely as escaped pets that got too big for their
owners to take care of. Luckily, Hawaii has yet to face an issue with an established invasive snake population. The
other reason I chose this quote is because Hawaii has some invasive species that blend in with their surroundings very
well. For example, the mongoose’s coloration makes it blend in with the dirt incredibly well. I haven’t focused much
on mongooses, but they are no doubt a problematic species.
The second quote relates to point #1: Invasive species cause problems for native ones. The number of invasive species
is staggering and is still on the rise. As long as we humans don’t check our boats from foreign countries or do research
into what animals we bring over as pets, that number will never stop rising.
The third quote is the most relevant, even though I myself have never read this book. 10,000 years ago, invasive
species were brought to Hawaii by three main things: wind, waves, and wings. “Wind” refers to seeds that get blown in
by a storm, “Waves” refers to aquatic animals or plants that get washed up on short, and “Wings” refers to flying
animals such as bats or birds. For example, Hawaiian Hoary bats colonized Hawaii about 2,000 years ago and are
considered native since they were not brought here by humans (not introduced) and aren’t harmful to the ecosystem
(not invasive).

Work Cited (correct MLA format):

Walsh, Bryan. “Invasive Species Could Cost the U.S. $120 Billion a Year in Damages.” Time, Time, 17 July 2014,
time.com/3000963/invasive-species-coming-soon-to-a-habitat-near-you/.

This is a reputable and reliable article because it was published in The New York Times Magazine and it only hires
the nation’s most highly trained and experienced writers.
 Research Log #__ - Solutionary Project 2022
Date:
Name:
Essential Question:

Three Points to Prove: #1:

#2:

#3:

Point that this Source Proves: #

Excerpts (These should provide insight into the Point to Prove)

Analysis (How does this source support the Point to Prove?):

Work Cited (correct MLA format):

This is a reputable and reliable article because