Download IAS species are as follows

Invasive Alien Species are more dangerous than we think
Have you ever wondered why plants and animals become extinct? There are many
explanations to this. These include: changes in climate or weather patterns,
anthropogenic (human based) factors and yes, even threats from other plants and
animals such as Invasive Alien Species.
Invasive Alien Species (IAS) are plants, animals, pathogens and other organisms that are
non-native to an ecosystem, and which may cause economic or environmental harm or
adversely affect human health.
What’s so fearful about these species? It’s not so much that they are alien, but fact of
the matter is, these exotic and strange organisms are invasive. They suppress, take over
and destroy, and for small islands like Hawaii and St. Kitts and even Trinidad and
Tobago, they can impact adversely upon biodiversity, including decline or elimination of
native species and the disruption of local ecosystems and ecosystem functions.
Did you know that one of the greatest threats to biodiversity is Invasive alien species?
Whether they were introduced or spread outside their natural habitats, they have
affected native biodiversity in almost every ecosystem type on earth.
Invasive Alien Species can increase poverty and threaten development through their
impact on agriculture, forestry, fisheries and natural systems, which are an important
basis of peoples’ livelihoods especially in developing countries. Unfortunately, this
damage is aggravated by climate change, pollution, habitat loss and human-induced
disturbance.
May 22, The International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) and the theme for 2009 is
Invasive Alien Species (IAS) - one of the greatest threats to biodiversity, and to the
ecological and economic well-being of society and the planet. The IAS theme provides
an opportunity to raise awareness of this particular issue and increase practical action to
tackle the problem.
Invasive alien species (IAS) are considered to be one of the main direct drivers of
biodiversity loss at the global level. Why? Here are just some reasons:
• IAS can be easily spread by increased travel, trade, and tourism associated with
globalization. The expansion of the human population has facilitated intentional
and accidental movement of species beyond natural bio-geographical barriers,
and many of these alien species have become invasive.
• IAS can change the community structure and species composition of native
ecosystems directly competing with indigenous species for resources. IAS may
also have important indirect effects through changes in nutrient cycling,
ecosystem function and ecological relationships between native species.
• Invasive species may also alter the evolutionary pathway of native species by
competitive exclusion, niche displacement, hybridization predation, and
ultimately extinction. IAS themselves may also evolve due to interactions with
native species and with their new environment.
• IAS can directly affect human health. Infectious diseases are often IAS imported
by travellers or carried by exotic species of birds, rodents and insects. IAS also
have indirect health effects on humans as a result of the use of pesticides and
herbicides used for their eradication which infiltrate water and soil.
Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) has also been affected by IAS both with both environmental
and economic impacts.
Some Invasive Alien Species found in T&T include:
•
The Pink Mealy bug or Maconellicoccus hirsutus. Remember this pest? The Pink
Mealy bug is native to Southern Asia and arrived in Grenada, Trinidad and
Tobago, and St. Kitts in the 1990s. It is a serious pest in the Caribbean where it
attacks many hosts of economic importance and disrupts Caribbean agricultural
trade and commerce. In T&T however, it has been reasonably controlled to date
due to public awareness effort and use of both biological and chemical control
measures.
•
The Black Wattle Acacia or Acacia mangium is a species of flowering tree in the
pea family native to northeastern Queensland in Australia. It was intentionally
brought to Trinidad from Australia in 1982 for forestry purposes but has shown
some invasive tendencies having been found sporadically out of the areas of
planting. This IAS produces vast numbers of seeds and its movement and
dispersal is assisted by birds and bats. This makes it well equipped and a worthy
threat for out-competing and replacing indigenous forest species.
•
The Red Palm Mite or Raoiella indica is a tiny mite that has been making
headlines in local news recently as it has been spreading wildly through coconut
plantations via wind currents. A relatively new pest, in the Western Hemisphere,
it has invaded islands in the Caribbean including T&T. Although coconut is the
primary host, other palms, bananas, plantains, heliconias and gingers are also
affected. Red palm mite was initially detected in Trinidad in 2008 and its
presence is confirmed to be widespread in the country.
•
The Asian Green Mussel or Perna viridis is a bivalve mussel native to Asia-Pacific
region where it is widely distributed. It has been spread around the world
through ship ballast waters. It was discovered in Trinidad in the 1970s and by
1993 the mussel population from Trinidad is thought to have been dispersed to
Venezuela and other Caribbean islands, Florida and along North American
coasts.
•
The Coconut Moth or Batrachedra nuciferae was first reported from Bahia, Brazil
in 1966, and was first observed in Trinidad in 2006. In May of that year, coconut
inflorescence was observed to be darkening with dark brown patches and yellow
flowers at Diego Martin, north west of the island. Further surveillance activities
confirmed the presence of the pest, in Cedros, Moruga, Mayaro, Point Fortin,
Centeno and Caura Valley.
Invasive Alien Species can produce substantial environmental and economic damage to
native ecosystems and the livelihoods of thousands of people throughout this country.
The invasive alien species problem is global in scope and requires international cooperation to enhance the actions of governments, economic sectors and individuals at
national and local levels. Sharing of information and expertise at a global level is a
critical component in prevention and management of invasive alien species. A country
can only prevent invasions if it is known which species are likely to become invasive,
where they may come from and what are the best management options.
Courtesy the Environmental Management Authority