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Executive Summary
Executive Summary
Invasive species are organisms that are non-native to an environment they are introduced into and cause harm to that non-native environment. They are often introduced to environments through the shipping and the transportation of materials from one place to another. Their high rate of adaptability to alternate climates allows them to establish a population, along with the lack of natural predators and diseases in the new area. Due to this, they create competition for existing native species and take available habitat, leading to a loss in biodiversity. The lack of biodiversity leads to a degradation of ecosystem services, especially those related to food and health. The degradation of ecosystem services costs billions of dollars annually. It is especially costly for regions that rely on farming for economic growth, which means that Michigan is affected by this issue too. The state of Michigan government describes many invasive species that are attempting to establish or already have established a population within Michigan. They provide many resources to the public to combat the spread of these organisms, including annual reports, laws, eradication guidelines and tips, reporting tools, and volunteer opportunities. However, I do not think the steps they are taking are enough.
I noted that I only found these resources by actively searching the topic; therefore, the general public may not be informed about the issue and what’s available. I propose that a more extensive advertising campaign through promotion and discussion should be created in order to notify the uninformed public. In addition to that, I admire the successful contests the state of Florida hosts in wrangling the invasive python and feel that Michigan could host contests here in order to encourage the public to participate in the management of invasive species. In experimenting with these solutions, we could increase our control over the impacts of invasives and restore our natural ecosystem resources for the benefit of everyone.
How invasive species may be introduced into aquatic environments
Source: strategian.com
Background
Background
What Are Invasive Species
What Are Invasive Species
There is a major problem within our natural ecosystem that always seems to be under the radar for many. Perhaps that is purposeful as this threat is quite adept at being hidden until it becomes such a large issue. Even then, it is rare that I see this as a prevalent talking point around ecosystem and environmental news. These threats are known as invasive species. Invasive species, as the name states, are organisms that invade and harm environments they are introduced to while not being native to that environment. There are invasive organisms all over the world, including right here in the state of Michigan. It is important that we are able to manage these invasive species in order to protect our local environments and to protect the ecosystem services that provide for humanity’s stable welfare.
It is important to distinguish between an invasive species and a species that is non-native but non-invasive. The basic difference between the two is that invasive species cause harm to the wider environment while non-native species either have benign effects or possibly benefit the environment. In fact, a majority of non-native species are non-invasive (Tobin). There are many organisms within Michigan that did not originate here, but do not harm the surrounding ecosystem. These include crops that provide food for humans such as corn, insects that provide pollination services such as the honey bee, and fish within local streams such as rainbow trout. These species coexist with native species and do not degrade their populations, livable habitat, and food sources whilst being easily manageable. Within this issue, we are exclusively concerned with invasive species that exude negative effects on the ecosystem.
How Invaders Spread
How Invaders Spread
Invasive species are able to spread in non-native ecosystems for a variety of reasons. These species may have high reproductive rates and high adaptability to alternate climates and environments. Additionally, in these non-native ecosystems, they lack “natural predators, competitors, and diseases” that would allow for the control of their population and competition with other species (University of Michigan). Invasive species are able to reach their destinations in an array of vehicles, including but not limited to: freight, flight baggage, ship interiors, products from e-commerce, imported organic materials, and some are even sold as exotic pets. Though most non-native species are lost on the rigorous path of shipping, due to the prevalence and necessity of trade in our society, it is certain that some species will be able to establish themselves in a non-native area (Tobin).
The Impact of Invasives
The Impact of Invasives
There are many negative effects on ecosystems that invasive species are responsible for. It is important to note that, due to the wide range of the impact of invasive species, it is hard to precisely calculate the extent of the negative effects. However, there is some data that allows us to speculate how bad these species are for the environment. A study done in 2016 using data from International Union of Conservation’s Red List of Threatened Species found that, out of 215 extinct species of plants, amphibians, birds, reptiles, and mammals, 58% were extinct in some part due to invasive species (Bellard). These results could be due to increased predation by invasives, prevalence of invasive diseases and pathogens, increased competition for resources, habitat displacement, and the hybridization of genetics between native and non-native species (University of Michigan). This translates to a drop in the biodiversity of an ecosystem when an invasive species is introduced and established. Consequently, the drop in biodiversity leads to a negative impact on the environment’s quality and ability to provide for necessary ecosystem services, a necessary element of achieving the accepted Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Part of the SDGs focus on the issue of human health, which are directly impacted by invasive species. Impacts on health include: the reduction in available plants used in medicines, the shrinking of carbon sinks due to die outs, and the reduced population of plants and animals for consumption. In total, invasive species cost the world $423 billion dollars annually according to the World Economic Forum, this cost built through the reduction of ecosystem services and attempted management of their populations. This cost is especially built within countries and communities that rely on agriculture for their economies. Seeing as agriculture contributes $104.7 billion to the state of Michigan’s economy, the issue of invasive species must be especially considered in order to maintain the state’s autonomy and environment.
Ash trees dying from invasive emerald ash borer beetles
Source: natlands.org
Solutions
Solutions
What Has Been Done
There are many ways that the government of the state of Michigan is attempting to manage the spread of invasive species within our local environment. The government has an official site page dedicated to the discussion of non-native invasive species in what to look for and how to prevent their establishment. Here, they discuss how, due to the fact that the cost to manage an established species is more than the cost of initial prevention, it is important to contain these organisms and eradicate them early. There are various legal methods they mention including:
Blocking shipping pathways frequented by invading species to reduce their rate of establishment
Providing annual invasive species reports to discuss the appearance of invaders and new prevention methods
Enacting the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, created in order “to codify, revise, consolidate, and classify laws relating to the environment and natural resources of the state” along with the consequences of violations (Michigan.gov)
And more methods found here
On the Identify and Report page of the website, they provide a watch list of 103 invasive organisms to look out for, along with their prevention methods. The site also provides an online and app service called the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network for citizens to report species not displayed in the list. A provided link takes the viewer to an interactive map that visualizes the spread of aquatic species among in-land lakes. There are various suggestions for those who enjoy outdoor recreation, such as cleaning and draining boats after use, not moving firewood from one location to another, and to clean gear and pets after a hike. Also, there are official government groups called Cooperative Invasive Species Management Areas which monitor the invasive species of a region within Michigan. These are another place where one can report sightings of invasive species. They also provide a list of volunteer opportunities for citizens to get involved with invasive management, such as Grand Rapids Parks with planting of native flora in public areas and Kent County Parks events to round up invasive species in an area.
Interactive map of reports of aquatic invasive species in inland lakes
Source: storymaps.arcgis.com
What Can Be Done
What Can Be Done
In addition, I propose contest events with the goal of collecting as many organisms of an invasive species as possible. In the state of Florida, there is a competition called the “Florida Python Challenge”. This encourages the general public to round up as many of the invasive burmese pythons as possible by providing cash prizes for the largest snakes captured. This program has been highly successful with over 18,000 pythons collected (Gasset). Perhaps we can replicate this sort of contest here in Michigan, providing cash prizes for the wrangling of the most organisms, such as the most pounds of Garlic Mustard plant matter collected. This contest will, of course, be widely advertised to the public for an optimum level of participation. In the end, this issue of invasive species is so large in its impact on ecosystem services and goals for sustainability that the government alone is not enough to entirely combat it. It requires the full aid and service of the general public in order to fully reverse the spread of invasives and to restore our ecosystem’s natural resources for the future of our home.
An example of the “Have you seen me?” sign concept found in Maryland.
Source: aawsa.org
In addition, I propose contest events with the goal of collecting as many organisms of an invasive species as possible. In the state of Florida, there is a competition called the “Florida Python Challenge”. This encourages the general public to round up as many of the invasive burmese pythons as possible by providing cash prizes for the largest snakes captured. This program has been highly successful with over 18,000 pythons collected (Gasset). Perhaps we can replicate this sort of contest here in Michigan, providing cash prizes for the wrangling of the most organisms, such as the most pounds of Garlic Mustard plant matter collected. This contest will, of course, be widely advertised to the public for an optimum level of participation. In the end, this issue of invasive species is so large in its impact on ecosystem services and goals for sustainability that the government alone is not enough to entirely combat it. It requires the full aid and service of the general public in order to fully reverse the spread of invasives and to restore our ecosystem’s natural resources for the future of our home.
Results of the Florida Python Challenge being implemented
Source: bioone.org
Bibliography
Bibliography
Bellard, Céline, Phillip Cassey, and Tim M. Blackburn. “Alien Species as a Driver of
Recent Extinctions.” Biology Letters 12.2 (2016): 20150623. Web. Web. 16 Oct.
2024.
Dickie, Gloria. “Invasive Species Cost the Global Economy $423 Billion per Year.”
World Economic Forum. 11 Sept. 2023. Web. 05 Nov. 2024.
Gasset, Jon. “The Florida Python Challenge and Beyond: Addressing Invasive Species
in the Southeast.” Outdoor News Bulletin. 15 Aug. 2023. Web. 16 Oct. 2024.
Kumar Rai, Prabhat, and J.S. Singh. “Invasive Alien Plant Species: Their Impact on
Environment, Ecosystem Services and Human Health.” Ecological Indicators 111
(2020): 106020. 9 Jan. 2020. Web. 16 Oct. 2024.
“Michigan Invasive Species Program.” Michigan Invasive Species. State of
Michigan. 2024. Web. 15 Oct. 2024.
Tobin, Patrick C. “Managing Invasive Species.” F1000Research 7: 1686. 23 Oct. 2018.
Web. 16 Oct. 2024.
“Invasive Species.” Environment, Health & Safety. The Regents of the University of
Michigan, 2024. Web. 15 Oct. 2024.
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