Invasive, Keystone, Endangered Species
Invasive Species
Keystone Species
Endangered Species
Siberian Chipmunk: Global
Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter: Native
Amur Tiger: Global
Hawaiian Monk Seal: Native
Salmon: Global
Beavers: Native
Background:
- Scientific name: Homalodisca vitripennis
- Native to Southeastern U.S
- Main vectors of the bacterium, Xylella fastidiosa
- Abundant on citrus
- Responsible for outbreaks of Pierce's disease
Background:
- Among the 100 worst invasive species in Europe
- Introduced by escape from captivity or release
- may impact native biodiversity
- Seen in the wild of both Ireland and Northern Ireland
Characteristics:
- About 12mm long
- Mostly brown-colored
- Ivory and black under the abdomen
- Large smoky-brown wings
Reasons for invasive:
- impacts Vectors of Pierce's disease
Background:
- Lives in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
- Named after its folds of skin that somewhat resembles a monk cowl
Solutions:
- Track this species
- Record the interaction
- Slow the spread
Characteristics:
- Small squirrel-like
- Sandy to reddish brown color
- Bushy brown-grey tail
- 100g in weight
- 5 dark longitudinal stripes
Reasons for invasive:
- Impact on the red squirrels
- Impact on ground nesting birds
Background:
- support around 137 species
- Born in fresh water and travel to the ocean
- Return to fresh water to reproduce
- Use the magnetic fields to travel
- Die after they release eggs
Background:
- Found throughout the Russian East, Northern China, and the Korean Peninsula
- Poaching for fur increase after the collaspe of the Soviet Union
- They have the largest home range of any tiger subspecies
- Represent the largest un-fragmented tiger population in the world
Solutions:
- Report all sightings
- Don't release non-native animals into the wild
Background:
- Largest rodent in North America
- Semi-aquatic animals
- Spend most their time in rivers and streams
- Eat leaves, roots, cambium and bark
Characteristics:
- 3 fins: dorsal, caudal and anal
- 2 paired fins: pectoral and pelvic
- Overlapping scales
Reasons for keystone:
- Northwest species struggle because of decreasing salmon
- Bring important nutrients where they are hatched
- They produce food for other species
Characteristics:
- Webbed hind feet
- Dense fur
- Flat tail
Reasons for Extinction:
- Habitat destruction
- Poached for their fur
Solutions:
- Protect Salmon
- Decrease the amount of water drained
- Preserve clean streams
Reasons for keystone:
- Plays an important role is biodiversity
- Many species rely on beaver ponds
- Produce food for fish and other animals
- Remove pollutants
Solution:
- Stop habitat encroachment
- Stop using tiger parts for medicinal purposes
Solutions:
- Protection of the beaver
- Pass laws against harming them
Characteristics:
- Grey/brown color
- Large hind flippers
- Small front flippers
- Weigh up to 300-600 lbs.
- Length up to 8ft
Characteristics:
- Weigh up to 300-600 lbs
- Thick fur coat
- Large paws
- Extra fur around their necks
- Often reach up to 6-9ft
- Largest of all tigers
Reasons for Endangerment:
- Victims of fisheries
- Prey for sharks
- Accidentally caught by fisherman
Solutions:
- Create acts to protect the seals (Endangered Species Act)
Golden Bamboo: Plant
Strangler Figs: Plant
Venus Flytrap: Plant
Sources:
- WorldWildlife.org. World Wildlife Fund. Web. 1 Dec. 2014. <http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/amur-tiger>.
Background:
- Native to Asia
- Introduced to the US in 1882
- Common names: Golden Bamboo, Fishpole Bamboo
- Sciencticif name: Phyllostachys aurea
- Introduced as an ornamental
- Member of the grass family
- Provides noise barriers
- Grown for its screening abilities
Background:
- Gather nutrients from gases in the air and nutrients in the soil
- They are native to select boggy areas in North Carolina
- "Siberian Tiger: An Endangered Species." Tigers in Crisis. Web. 1 Dec. 2014. <http://www.tigersincrisis.com/siberian_tiger.htm
Background:
- 100's of species of figs
- Begin in the top of other trees from the dropping of the seeds
- Strangles the host tree
- Robs that tree of sunlight and nutrients
- Rapidly grows upward
Characteristics:
- Can reach up to 30ft
- Stems are typically green
- Turns yellow in sunlight
- Short swollen internodes at the base
- Leaves are roughly 15cm long
- 1 or 2 cm wide
- "Animals - Animal Pictures - Wild Animal Facts - Nat Geo Wild - National Geographic." National Geographic. Web. 1 Dec. 2014. <http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/>.
Reasons for invasive:
- Fast growing
- Quick colonization
- finds its way out of confinement to infect nearby ares
Solution:
- Limit growth
- Removal of existing plants
- Prevent seed spread
Characteristics:
- grow up to 148ft
- canopy trees
- contains many waxyleaves 1.5-3 inches
- root systems up to 30ft
- light colored
- "Hawaiian Monk Seal." The Animal Files. Web. 1 Dec. 2014. <http://www.theanimalfiles.com/mammals/seals_sea_lions/hawiian-monk-seal.html>.
Reasons for keystone:
- Important to the animals of the rainforest
- A supply of food for 70% of animals in rainforests
Solutions:
- Protect the figs
- Pass laws
Characteristics:
- Leaves with short, stiff hair
- The leaves will enclose
- The inside of the leaves are a pinkish color while in rest of the plant is green
- Each seed in genetically unique
- Do not eat meat
- "If You Support Teaching Only about ANIMALS in Schools - DON'T GO HERE!" Botanical Society of America, Leading Scientists and Educators since 1893. Web. 1 Dec. 2014. <http://botany.org/>.
Reasons for endangered:
- People's fascination, they collect them
Solution:
- They are grown in greenhouses
- "Venus Flytrap." Venus Flytap Center. Web. 1 Dec. 2014. <http://www.vensusflytrapcenter.com/venus-flytrap-facts/>.
- "Invasive Species: Plants - Golden Bamboo (Phyllostachys Aurea)." Invasive Species: Plants - Golden Bamboo (Phyllostachys Aurea). Web. 2 Dec. 2014. <http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/plants/goldenbamboo.shtml>.
- "Golden Bamboo: Invasive Plant Management Plan - Florida Invasive Plant Initiative in the Parks." Golden Bamboo: Invasive Plant Management Plan - Florida Invasive Plant Initiative in the Parks. Web. 2 Dec. 2014. <http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/parks/bamboo.html>.
- "Database Updates | Invasive Species." Database Updates | Invasive Species. Web. 2 Dec. 2014. <http://invasives.biodiversityireland.ie/species-alert-chipmunk/>.
Sources:
- "Invasive Species: Animals - Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter (Homalodisca Vitripennis)." Invasive Species: Animals - Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter (Homalodisca Vitripennis). Web. 2 Dec. 2014. <http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/animals/gwss.shtml>.
- "School of Environmental and Forest Sciences." School of Environmental and Forest Sciences. Web. 3 Dec. 2014. <http://www.cfr.washington.edu/>.
- "Six Primary Producers of the Tropical Rainforest." Bright Hub. 7 May 2010. Web. 3 Dec. 2014. <http://www.brighthub.com/environment/science-environmental/articles/70738.aspx>.
- "Strangler Figs." Blue Planet Biomes. Web. 3 Dec. 2014. <http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/strangler_fig
- "Beavers - A Keystone Species in North America." Beavers - A Keystone Species in North America. Web. 3 Dec. 2014. <http://www.beaversolutions.com/beavers_keystone