Invasive Species Paper

escaped from captivity. The gypsy moth escaped from a Boston laboratory and has
devastated forests in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The nutria was brought into North
America from South America to be used in fur trade, but the efforts were unsuccessful
and the nutria were released. Since their release in 1899, they have spread into 22
states. Various species can be spread into new habitats by being carried with cargo.
Norway rats, native to Asia, can now be found throughout the world.
Loss of biodiversity is the largest ecological threat associated with introduced
species. Introduced species can carry new diseases to which native species have no
immunity. An example is the chestnut blight, a fungus that decimated the American
chestnut. Chestnut blight is believed to have been carried by Chestnut trees imported
from Asia. Introduced species may also prey upon native species, reducing their
numbers. An example of this can be found on Guam, where the brown tree snake has
devastated the native bird species which evolved without the influence of snakes and,
as a result, had no defenses against snakes. Five of the eight native species have
become extinct because of these (accidentally) introduced snakes. Introduced species
may simply out-compete native species because the factors that control their
populations in their native habitats, such as predators, parasites or other pathogens,
climate conditions or geologic formations, are not present.
Kudzu (Pueraria Montana) is sometimes called the “vine that ate the south,”
“mile-a-minute vine,” and “foot-a-night vine.” It is a semi-woody, climbing, perennial vine
that is in the pea family. It is a deciduous plant with broad leaves that can measure up
to four inches across. It produces purple flowers and seeds in pods. It is indigenous to
Southern and Eastern Asia. In its natural habitat, numerous natural enemies, including