Download Non Indigenous Species

Micayla Arndt
3rd Hour
In a rain forest there are thousands or even millions of different species. Each one has its own
place in the ecosystem. Introducing a new species can disrupt this delicately balance ecosystem
dramatically. Governments and businesses need to consider many, many different topics when thinking
of introducing a new species.
When purposefully introducing a new species into a habitat everyone has good intentions. But
things don’t always go as planned. The unknown effects of a new species, and the cost that would be
needed to fix them, need to be considered before bringing a species into a new country. Australia found
this out the hard way in Source F. Australian sugar-cane farmer were disgruntled with the beetles that
were chewing through their fields. So naturally they wanted to fix the issue. Bringing in cane toads was
their fix. All they heard was glowing reports, but when the toads arrived they killed everything. The
toads didn’t contain their killing to the sugar cane fields either; they even killed pets that tried to eat
them. The farmers didn’t take into consideration any of these effects. They heard the good, and needed
something to help their fields. Instead they got something worse, and forced the government to have a
multimillion-dollar campaign to stop the invasive toads.
Not only is the cost of fixing the unknown effects of a new species an issue that needs to be
considered, the naturally occurring organisms and habitat needs to be considered as well. The picture in
Source A shows the destruction of nonindigenous species. Not only was the habitat destroyed, but also
the organisms that live there now have no shelter or food supply, and the whole ecosystem is disrupted.
In Source E it talks about “hitchhikers that ride in ballast tanks or aboard the hulls of ships.” These are
the type of organisms that destroy habitats; the ones that are brought over accidentally.
Some nonindigenous species could bring benefits, like the quinoa mentioned in Source G. This
plant could help malnourished children by giving them protein. But there isn’t much known about what
other species will come over with this plant, and if it will survive in a new place. The new habitat that
the plant is going to live in might not be ideal for the species, and it will die. There much known about
this plant, and moving to a different country could be risky.
Good and bad things can come from introducing a nonindigenous species, but many things need
to be considered before risking a naturally occurring ecosystem. There are millions of unknowns, and a
lot of caution needs to be taken if it’s decided to bring a new species. Imagine a beautiful lake getting
infested with killer piranhas. Not only does it hurt the ecosystem, it also hurts the individuals that enjoy
the lake.