An invasive species can be defined as an organism that has been introduced into a new area, typically due to human interference, and has caused some sort of environmental damage. Species can be introduced into a new area purposely or accidentally. Some organisms can be intentionally introduced as a food source, for sport hunting, government subsidization, and/or to be kept as an exotic pet. A commonly held belief is that since the organism has not done great damage in their home environment, then the damage they would cause in a new environment would be negligible. Some species may also be transported without the knowledge of the people who are doing the exporting. Some species travel inside shipping crates, stowaway in ships, and/or adhere to the vessels. In some cases, and due to the lack of coevolution amongst the native species and the new species, natural selection cannot keep up and the new specie may thrive.
Indigenous to Southeast Asia, the Burmese Python was once a permitted pet in the U.S. and was thought to be released into the wild by pet owners. These apex predators were able to disrupt the food chain very rapidly due to the fact that they fed on almost all of the consumers within the food web without the threat of being eaten themselves. Since the Burmese Python was able to continue to thrive uninterrupted, over the course of 2003 to 2011, it was noted that the population of raccoons, bobcats, opossums, and white-tailed deer had decreased by 99.3%, 87.5%, 98.9%, and 94.1 respectively due to overeating by this organism.
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The human population is a reflection of the situation of the Burmese python in Florida. According to fossil record, early hominids had started in what is now Africa and now live in almost every habitable area on the planet. The human race has spread around the planet and can be traced back to be the ultimate cause for many environmental issues. For many invasive species, an easy fix would be to eliminate them to stop their spread, but that isn’t a viable option for the human population. Alternative methods for dealing with humans and their impact on the environment.
