Invasive Species

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Invasive Species Noun

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[in-vey-siv spee-sheez]

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Invasive Species

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A non-native organism introduced to a new environment where it spreads aggressively, causing harm to the ecosystem, economy, or health.

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Example: This diagram shows how invasive species spread, grouping the pathways into transportation, living industries, and other miscellaneous causes like natural spread.

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Native Species Noun

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[ney-tiv spee-sheez]

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Native Species

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An organism that is naturally found and has evolved in a particular ecosystem, as opposed to being introduced by human activity.

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Example: The American bison is a native species because it has historically lived and evolved in the grasslands of North America.

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Ecosystem Noun

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[ee-koh-sis-tuhm]

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Ecosystem

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A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment, forming a complex, interconnected system of life and resources.

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Example: This diagram shows how an ecosystem includes all living things (community) and non-living things (water, sand), building up from an individual organism.

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Biodiversity Noun

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[bahy-oh-di-vur-si-tee]

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Biodiversity

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The variety of life within a specific habitat or ecosystem, which is often threatened by the introduction of invasive species.

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Example: This image defines biodiversity by showing its three levels: genetic (variety within a species), species (variety of different species), and ecosystem (variety of habitats).

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Non-native Species Noun

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[non-ney-tiv spee-sheez]

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Non-native Species

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A species living outside its native distributional range that has been introduced by human activity but does not necessarily cause harm.

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Example: This image shows a squirrel, a native animal in many places, next to a giraffe, a non-native animal, to explain what a non-native species is.

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Predator Noun

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[pred-uh-ter]

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Predator

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An animal that naturally preys on others for food; invasive species often thrive due to a lack of natural predators.

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Example: This food chain shows how energy moves from a plant to an owl. The owl is a predator because it hunts and eats the mouse for food.

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Ballast Water Noun

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[bal-uhst waw-ter]

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Ballast Water

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Water held in tanks and cargo holds of ships to increase stability, which is a common vector for aquatic invasive species.

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Example: A ship takes in ballast water with local organisms to stay stable after unloading cargo, then releases that water and its organisms in a new location when loading cargo.

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Extinction Noun

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[ik-stingk-shuhn]

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Extinction

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The complete dying out or termination of a species, which can be accelerated when invasive species outcompete or prey on natives.

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Example: This image shows four examples of extinct animals, including the dodo and the Tasmanian wolf, to illustrate that extinction is when a species dies out completely.

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Venom Noun

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[ven-uhm]

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Venom

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A poisonous substance secreted by an animal and injected into prey or attackers through a bite or sting for defense or predation.

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Example: This diagram shows the venom delivery system in the spine of a lionfish, an invasive species, labeling the venom gland where the toxin is stored.

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Shading Noun

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[shey-ding]

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Shading

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A competitive mechanism where one plant grows over another, blocking its access to sunlight and inhibiting its growth or survival.

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Example: This image shows a tree growing a larger, denser canopy over time, which is how an invasive tree can create extensive shade.