What is an Invasive Species and Why Are They So Dangerous?

What is an invasive species?  An invasive species is a non-native (not naturally found) species which has been added to an area.  The addition to the area can be natural such as through migration due to habitat loss or range extension.  It can also be a result of human activity such as intentionally moving animals into an area because they think it looks nice, for hunting purposes, etc.

Examples of particularly harmful Invasive Species include the:

• Japanese Beetle
  
• Kudzu Plant
• Small Asian Mongoose

Asian Mongoose

Invasive species can do a great deal of damage to an ecosystem including:

• altering the ecosystem.
  
• destroying forests, crops or both.
• reducing the beauty or use of the land.
• introducing diseases.

Have a look at the following video.  It is very well done and provides an excellent perspective on the issue.

If you teach Invasive Species and you would like some more information or would like something a little more comprehensive and complete, I encourage you to have a look at my Invasive Species Resource on TpT by CLICKING HERE.

Included in the lesson package is:

– The teacher version of the Power Point
– The student version of the Power Point
– An Inquiry Project on Invasive Species with marking rubric
– FOUR videos embedded into the Power Point
– Student lesson handout

In order, the lesson covers:
– Invasive vs. Native Species
– The Effect of an Invasive Species on an Ecosystem
– The Small Asian Mongoose Case Study
– Controlling Invasive Species
– 5 Extreme Invasive Species

Fergy