Invasion of the Niche Snatchers
Backstory: For millennia, humans have been relocating species around the globe for reasons ranging from the simple desire to bring home a souvenir for aesthetic or financial purposes, to establishing a new crop for agricultural or industrial growth. In many cases the “introduced” species are benign and can be easily controlled. In some instances, however, where there is a relaxation of predators or competition, the species may become invasive, increasing in population quickly enough to displace other species from their natural “niche,” and potentially damaging entire ecosystems in the process. Identifying species as being a potential invasive species can be difficult because there are so many variables that influence the success of each organism. Oftentimes, changes in the ecosystem itself can trigger the invasive characteristics of a species that was believed to be benign at an earlier time.
Activity: Invasive species can be identified in virtually every ecosystem in the world, especially in those with heavy human activity. Using your present location (or pick your hometown instead) do a web-based search for invasive species for your area. You may have to broaden your search to include the county or even the state to find examples. Pick two or three species and then address the following:
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