Invasive Species
There are many invasive species which have been introduced to the Florida Everglades. One of these species is the Burmese python. This species of snake has grown to the thousands within the everglades ecosystem. An article describes the belief on how this species was first introduced to the everglades. “Snow believes that such pythons, popular in the pet trade, were first released into the state by their owners when the reptiles became too big to handle. One of the largest snakes in the world, it can grow to more than 20 feet long and weigh as much as 200 pounds”.
These predators feed on animals ranging from alligators to rats, killing off a lot of the natural wildlife within the everglades. The native species are given the challenge of survival against these powerful predators. These snakes sneak up on their prey in the form of an ambush. The victim is slowly crushed and suffocated until it dies, then the snake eats. This makes it harder to travel through the area without becoming food. This type of invasive species keeps other wildlife from coming into the area they exist in. The adaptation to this species is avoidance.
Another invasive animal is the Cuban Tree frog. This frog was introduced to the ecosystem after hitching a ride on crates and cargo shipped from Cuba. The population has grown immensely since their introduction. They feed on insects, other tree frogs and even each other. It is a cannibalistic species, but also has been known to eat lizards and small snakes. There are native snakes that eat them. The adaptation of the ecosystem includes the native snakes which eat them as a food source.
The following is the impact of this species as described by an article in EDIS, “Many homeowners in Florida report that Cuban Treefrogs appear to have replaced native treefrogs as the dominant frog found around their homes. These same people say that they no longer see native species, such as Squirrel Treefrogs or Green Treefrogs, but only Cuban Treefrogs.” This replacement eliminates native treefrogs that are not poisonous and less dangerous to humans. They have been known to cause increased salivating and seizures among pets. They have been known to cause damage to power lines, plumbing and other equipment in homes and other areas.
One of the invasive plants introduced into the ecosystem is the Brazilian Pepper. It was imported as an ornamental plant in the 1840’s. The threat which was produced by this plant includes irritation to human skin and respiratory passages. It produces chemicals which appear to suppress growth of other plants. Fire resistance and salt tolerance make it harder to clear farm areas through controlled burning. The invasiveness of this plant kills off other species due to drowning out by forming dense monocultures.
One way the ecosystem is adapting is through the release of insects. The following is an explanation about this adaptation, “No biological controls are currently available for the management of Brazilian pepper in the United States. Over 200 insects feed on Brazilian pepper trees in their native habitat, but scientists must prove that they are specific to the Brazilian pepper before releasing them here.” It is further explained that two insects have been identified as possible solutions. The ecosystem has not fully adapted, except by growing around this invasive plant.
Another plant invasive to the everglades ecosystem is the Australian pine, not an actual pine tree though. It was planted as a landscape tree back in the 1880’s. This tree has been classified as a pest. The challenge it brings to the ecosystem is told in the Florida Everglades website, “Due to its denseness, it crowds out the native plants while also producing allelopathic compounds – as other exotic plants do – which prevents other plants from growing. These trees were a major menace following Hurricane Andrew in 1992, when they toppled into the canals which then became clogged and led to extensive flooding.”
One adaptation that has been made is these trees are illegal to plant in Florida. There is no way for other plant life to grow. The adaptation that has been taken by the rest of the ecosystem is to just not grow in that area. It hinders the ability for the ecosystem to remain the way it was before it was introduced. There is a reason this plants are native to Australia. It is the only ecosystem that can keep this plant in check.
Plants and animals are native to specific areas for a reason. There are things within the native areas that keep them in check. When they are removed and introduced to a new habitat, there is nothing there to keep them from growing out of hand. This lack of environmental resistance allows the species to reach its critical number.
Coral Reefs
The coral reefs are a major component in the oceans ecosystem. One thing that is affecting these reefs today is pollution. When someone throws trash in the ocean, the toxins from it change the chemicals in the environment. This makes it harder for the coral to survive, killing it off. There is tons of trash dumped into the oceans each year. Ships out at sea need somewhere to keep the trash, but if it reaches levels causing safety issues for the humans onboard, it is dumped over the side. A fact about trash presented by the operation reef defense, “Fishing nets, plastic bags, and tires can sink to the ocean floor and break and smother coral reefs.”
Just like trash that people throw out their car windows, or leave in a campsite, trash dumped in the ocean harms the animals and environment. “Floating trash can also cover reefs, blocking off sunlight that polyps need to survive. Trash dumped into the water also kills reef animals. Turtles often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and eat them. Plastic blocks the turtle’s digestive tract, causing it to starve to death. Lost or discarded fishing nets – called “ghost nets” – can also snag on reefs and strangle thousands of fish, sea turtles and marine mammals.” This is some of the recorded damage done by trash as described by the International Coral Reef Information Network (ICRIN).
The best solution to this issue is to get people to stop dumping their trash wherever they want. There is no reason we could not simply throw our trash out where it is supposed to be. There are many organizations that are trying to do what they can to help resolve this issue. There are fines in place for those who are caught illegal disposing their trash, but not everyone can be caught.
Another issue contributing to the coral reefs being killed is tourism. People travel to other countries to visit and enjoy the environment they offer. When they go snorkeling, some tourists like to take home a piece of coral as a souvenir. This takes that piece of coral away from its environment and the creatures that depend on it. The breaking of one piece of coral kills the entire coral it was part of.
Boats used to take tourists out to certain areas on the ocean drops its anchor to stay in place. The anchor has to go somewhere, so it drops to the bottom and hits the corals. This causes damage to the reef killing a lot of the coral that is growing there. The impact is described by the United Nations Environment Programme, “Anchor damage is proportional to the size of the boat (i.e. weight of the anchor and length of anchor chain) and is further dependent on the type of coral community.”
Solutions to the tourist problems are simple and need to be followed. Teach the people that are going snorkeling or scuba diving about the impact breaking coral has on the environment. Another solution would be to only have specified areas available for snorkeling and diving restricting the areas that could be affected. Something that would resolve the issue of anchor damage would be to have designated anchor stations where the boats could tie off instead of having to drop anchor. Training on how to drop anchor without causing damage to the reefs would help lower the amount of damage being caused.
Endangered or Threatened Species
Schweinitz’s Sunflower is endangered because habitats where it has thrived have been destroyed. Industrial development, road installation, mining and other developments contribute to this species being endangered. Restricting where development takes place is helping keep the habitats alive for this flower to grow back and thrive again. Only placing roads where necessary also keeps the habitat intact. This is not very successful due to the constant demands of human growth. People paying attention to where they are trying to build things, and deciding to leave a habit alone would help keep this plant from becoming extinct.
Smooth Coneflower is a threatened species of flower in Virginia, endangered in the country. Agriculture and development have caused habitat loss for this plant. The measures in place for this are for homeowners to remove woody plants from the area by mowing or prescribed burning. This should not be done frequently, but periodically. It is recommended to keep trees from shading the light source for the coneflower. Specimens within the same family as the smooth coneflower should not be planted near this flower. This is due to the flower being readily hybridized. The measures being taken are all that can be done to protect the species from being eliminated from the environment completely. Planting more of these flowers could help keep them around longer.
Piping Plover is one of the endangered species in Virginia. People go to the beaches where these birds nest. They step on the nests by accident or disturb them all together. Dogs have been known to eat or kill the birds and/or eggs. There are measures in place to protect the habitat. Human access to nesting areas is controlled, limiting residential and industrial development within those areas. Informing the public is another step being taken to help preserve the species and stop them from being eliminated. These have been somewhat successful measures. The only thing that would help with this is if people just follow the instructions and be aware of their surroundings.
Shenandoah Salamander is endangered and can only be found in the Shenandoah national park in Virginia. This salamander requires shaded and moist areas within a forest in order to survive. Laws are in place that state they cannot be captured, observed or disturbed along with the habitat where it lives. This measure is very effective because they are protected in a national park. Taking some of them to breed in other forests could help expand the population and help restore their existence. There is not much else that could be done to improve the status of this species.
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