In the modern era, either intentionally or accidentally, a great many species have been introduced into areas where they never existed.

The introduction of many species was due to the following factors.

European colonization . Arrival at new settlement sites in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and wanting to make the surroundings more familiar to the eye and provide themselves with traditional entertainment (in particular, hunting), Europeans brought hundreds of European species of birds and mammals there.

Horticulture and agriculture . A large number of species of ornamental plants, agricultural crops and pasture grasses are introduced and grown in territories that are new to them. Many of these species "broke free" and settled in local communities.

Overwhelming majority exotic species, that is, species that have found themselves outside their natural range due to human activity, do not take root in new places, with the exception of a certain number of species that are settled there and become invasive species, that is, those that increase in number due to the original species.

Reasons for the invasiveness of exotic species:

1.Competition with natives for a limiting resource.

2. Direct predation.

In the US, invasive exotic species pose a threat to 49% of endangered species; now there are more than 70 species of exotic fish, 80 species of exotic shellfish, 200 species of exotic plant species and 2,000 exotic insects.

The swamps of North America are dominated by exotic perennials: loosestrife from Europe and Japanese honeysuckle. Intentionally introduced insects, such as European honey bees(Apis mellifera)and bumblebees(Bombus spp.),and accidentally introduced Richter ants and African honey bees(A. mellifera adansonii or A. mellifera scutelld)created huge populations. These invasive species can have a devastating effect on the local insect fauna, resulting in the decline of many species in the area. In some areas of the southern United States, due to the invasion of exotic Richter ants, the diversity of insect species has decreased by 40%.

Invasive species in aquatic habitats

Particularly strong influence invasive species can manifest itself in lakes, rivers and inland seas.

Freshwater bodies of water are like islands in the ocean (just the other way around). Therefore, they are particularly vulnerable to the introduction of exotic species. In water bodies for the sake of commercial or sport fishing, species that are not inherent in them are often introduced. Many species of fish have been unintentionally introduced into inland seas as a result of canal construction and the transport of ballast water by ships. Often, exotic species are larger and more aggressive than the natural fish fauna, and as a result of competition and outright predation, they can gradually drive native fish species to extinction.

IN North America one of the most notable invasions was in the Great Lakes in 1988 . river mussel (Dreissena pofymorpha). This small striped animal from the Caspian Sea was brought from Europe by tankers. In two years, in some parts of Lake Erie, the number of zebra mussel reached 700 thousand individuals per 1 sq. km. km, destroyed many species of molluscs and fish.

The rabbits brought to Australia bred uncontrollably and brought native plants to extinction. Currently, efforts to control rabbits are focused on the importation into Australia of pathogens that selectively affect rabbits.

Invasive species, or invasive species (from lat. invasio - « invasion, attack, raid; violence; violent capture"") - a biological species that has spread as a result of human activities, the spread of which threatens biological diversity. The primary cause of their spread is the intended or unintentional introduction of organisms outside their habitats. natural habitat.

Invasive animals

Huge losses are incurred by agriculture and forestry from insect pests, a significant part of which are invasive species.

Invasive plants

The definition of invasive plant species often includes an assessment of harm from an economic point of view. However, there are neutral or useful invasive species, the so-called "soft invasive species", whose environmental or economic damage is negligible.

In Western classifications, among the totality of invasive species (which are understood as alien species that can spread over large areas), there are “transformers” (eng. transformers), species that can change ecosystems over a large area. The influence of transformers may consist in excessive consumption (water, oxygen, light) or donation of resources (nitrogen), counteraction or, conversely, intensification of soil erosion processes, accumulation of harmful substances and other influences.

In the Russian classification, the concept of a transformer roughly corresponds to the concept agriophyte, and invasive species include agriophytes (plants that have invaded natural cenoses) and epecophytes(plants spreading through anthropogenic habitats).

see also

Notes

Literature

  • Elton Ch. Ecology of Invasions by Animals and Plants = The Ecology of Invasions by Animals and Plants. By Charles S. Elton. London, 1958 / Charles Elton / Trans. from English. Yu. I. Lashkevich; Ed. and with preface. prof. N. P. Naumova. - M.: Publishing house of foreign literature, 1960. - 232 p.
  • Tokhtar V. K., Mazur N. V. Analysis of invasive species in Central Russia // Scientific Bulletin of Belgorod state university. Series: Natural Sciences. 2010. No. 21 (92). Issue. 13. S. 20-23.
  • Vinogradova Yu.K. Code for managing the behavior of invasive alien species in botanical gardens // Botanical Gardens in modern world: theoretical and applied research: Proceedings of the All-Russian Scientific Conference / Ed. A. S. Demidov. - M. : KMK Scientific Publications Partnership, 2011. Archived on May 12, 2012.
  • Yu. K. Vinogradova , S. R. Maiorov , A. A. Notov Black book of flora of the Tver region: Alien plant species in the ecosystems of the Tver region / Ch. botanical garden them. N. V. Tsitsina. - M.: Association of scientific publications KMK, 2011. - 292, p. - (Alien species of Russia). - 550 copies. - ISBN 978-5-87317-804-9.
  • Kuklina A., Vinogradova Yu.

In nature, there are many species of animals that pose a danger to others, feed on them or act as dominants. This is not as scary as it seems at first glance - usually everything in nature is balanced in such a way that all species, despite the death of individual individuals, survive. However, the unimpeded invasion of predators into the habitat where they should not be leads to catastrophic consequences - species and entire ecosystems disappear, and sometimes even human dwellings turn out to be insufficient protection.

1. Starfish Looking like an alien invader, the starfish is a nightmare with skin covered in sharp needles. Usually starfish are 33 cm in diameter and have five rays protruding from the body, which are covered with razor-sharp spines that protect them from most predators. The stars themselves feed coral polyps.
Starfish have become a problem in their native ecosystem due to environmental changes. Thanks to their insatiable appetite and rapid breeding rate, each star in the "herd" can consume up to six m2 of coral reefs per year, destroying massive patches.
Scientists believe that the too rapid increase in the number of starfish is caused by human-induced changes in the ocean ecosystem, primarily associated with an increased content of biogenic pollution. As a result, programs have been implemented in some areas to destroy starfish using lethal toxins.

2. European starling
Starlings were brought to North America by nostalgic settlers, apparently under the influence of Shakespeare, who in one of his plays described the hero Eugene Scheffelin, a self-proclaimed messiah who called on everyone who left their homeland to lead a bird to a foreign land. 60 starlings were indeed delivered to America in this way, though much later, and released into the wild in Manhattan's Central Park.
Starlings quickly spread across the continent from Central America to Alaska: they invaded cities and fields, destroyed crops and partially or completely exterminated many native birds, including woodpeckers, tits and swallows.
Flocks of starlings threaten planes - once 62 people died due to the fact that a starling was sucked into the engine of an airliner. Despite large-scale control programs, the number of European starlings in North America is currently about 150 million individuals.

3 Giant Canada Goose
Although Canada does not have a bird that serves as a symbol of the country, the vast majority of fans wildlife would attribute this role to the Canadian goose, since there are more birds of this species in Canada than all the others. However, Canada is a large enough country to have room for several goose subspecies with different habitats and lifestyles.
Canada goose are responsible for the gradual destruction of the coastline along the mouth of the Gulf of Georgia. This area has great value, since many species of migratory birds stop here, in addition, this is the main habitat of salmon - a commercial fish that is endangered.
Wildlife researcher Neil C. Doe has conducted field studies on the state of the mouth of the bay and published results showing that geese destroy the natural habitat of many animals and cause disturbances. the food chain.

4. Dark tiger python
Most invasive species are small animals, but dark tiger pythons- huge and potentially deadly giants. They first appeared in national park Everglades (Florida), the world famous swamp region. This monster, brought to America by conquistadors, is one of the largest snakes on the planet, it grows up to five meters in length and weighs about 90 kg.
Now the number of snakes in the Everglades reaches several thousand individuals, and this is more than in their original habitat in South Asia. Giant pythons with powerful jaws and sharp teeth, threaten to destroy the ecosystem of the wetland region as they rapidly decimate native species, including the normally invulnerable American alligators.
State conservation authorities consider the extermination of snakes in this region one of the priorities, but to date, all measures taken have been ineffective.

5. Yeah (cane toad)
Yeah, or the cane toad, is living proof that introducing a second invasive species to control the numbers of one already existing invader can lead to even worse disasters. A huge toxic amphibian (some individuals can weigh about two kg and grow up to 23 cm in length) comes from Central and South America was introduced to the islands to reduce the number of beetles devouring sugarcane plantations.
Instead, in order to exterminate the beetles and calm down on this, the Aghas bred over a vast territory, bringing the local fauna into decline. They hunt, among other things, predatory lizards, marsupial mammals and songbirds, and even ruin the egg laying of man-eating sea crocodiles.
As with other invasive species, the number of cane toads remains artificially high in the new environment due to the lack of predators that can feed on them and are resistant to toxins.
The proposal to reduce the population of toads with the help of viruses has raised concerns - in the future, such a measure could cause a chain reaction and cause irreparable damage to the local fauna. By a strange coincidence, the natural toad toxin is currently being used to kill tadpoles.

6. Brown boyga
If a predatory invasive species ends up on an island, the native species usually lack the ability to cope with a threat that they have never encountered before. Coupled with the lack of predators higher up in the food chain, this could lead to the extinction of native species.
When brown boygies arrived on Guam after World War II, probably as stowaways in the cargo holds of ships, they caused the biggest environmental disaster ever caused by introductions.
Poisonous snakes have destroyed most of the vertebrates native to the forests of the island, they also bite people, and their bites are very painful. In addition, the Boigis have caused frequent power outages as they have invaded human settlements.
In safe conditions, boigas grow up to three meters in length due to an unnaturally large amount of food. To control the number of reptiles, the introduction of toxins into dead mice, which snakes love to eat, is used.

7. Plague rats and mice
On ships, not only people cross the oceans, but also their mortal enemies - rats and mice. Sometimes disease-carrying, rodents become a death sentence for the entire population of seabirds when they land with people ashore: they eat eggs, young and sometimes even adult petrels, puffins and other wetland birds that are not able to protect their nests from land-based predators. .
The presence of invasive rats contributes to the global extinction of seabirds: for example, rats exterminate up to 25,000 petrel chicks per year. No less dangerous are invasive house mice that harm species that are already endangered, for example, Tristan albatrosses: mice not only ruin their clutches, but also eat chicks alive.

8. Domestic cat
Cats are second best friends humans, but they also have a reputation as the most dangerous invasive predators, as they intensively destroy the local fauna when they find themselves in a foreign environment. Through direct and indirect human assistance, stray cats have killed millions of continental songbirds, ill-equipped to fend off stealth attacks from a growing number of predators.
The presence of cats on the islands has catastrophic consequences: an unprecedented case is known when the cat of one person caused the complete extinction of one of the bird species in New Zealand - the Stefanov bush wren.
On many islands and continents, invasive cats have reduced bird and small mammal populations. However, there is a downside: some scientists believe that cats can help people with population control. small predators such as rats.

9 Crab Eating Macaque
Most often, ecologists call humans the main invasive species on the planet, but we rarely imagine monkeys in this role. However, crab-eating macaques are included in the list of the 100 most dangerous invasive species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Crab-eating macaques are carnivorous primates that have invaded a number of islands in an unnatural habitat for them thanks to human assistance.
Like many terrestrial predators, crabeater macaques, which also have the rudiments of intelligence, threaten reproduction. tropical birds and, according to some experts, may be responsible for the rapid extinction of already endangered species.
Macaques can also pose a danger to humans because they carry a deadly strain of the herpes virus that has symptoms similar to herpes simplex, but without proper treatment can lead to brain damage and death.

10. Cow corpse
The invasion of invasive species can prevent people from efficiently using land resources and provide additional conditions for other species, native, to prey on their prey, or, in the case of cow corpses, to parasitize other people's nests.
Initially, cow trupials lived on the plains of North America, where they coexisted with buffaloes and fed on insects climbing around these large herbivorous insects. However, the increase in the number of buffaloes began to prevent the birds from building nests and raising offspring - then the cow corpses began to throw their eggs into the nests of other birds, which is why their own chicks of these species cannot develop normally.
In addition, the reduction of forest areas in some habitats of trupials led to their spread to thousands of km2 of forests, where they caused a decrease in the number of forest songbirds, whose own chicks were doomed to starvation.
However, conservationists sometimes call cow corpses a natural invasive species, since their homeland was the same territories where they live now, no one brought them there. However, cow corpses have managed to reduce even the rare Kirtland treeworts.

MUNICIPAL EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION

SECONDARY EDUCATIONAL SCHOOL № 14, Tver

Work theme:

INVASIVE SPECIES -

TERRITORY INVADERS

Completed by: student of 9 "B" class

MOU secondary school No. 14, Tver

Lobacheva Natalia
Leader: geography teacher

MOU secondary school No. 14, Tver

Dmitrieva Elena Evgenievna

Tver, 2014


Introduction 3
Chapter 1.Chapter 1. Invasive (invasive) species……….………….…. 5


    1. The etymology of the concept " "invasive" look» ………………………. 5

    2. ANDintroduction…… ……………………………………. ………... ... …… 6

.……… .. ………......… 7

1.4. Ecological introduction / reintroduction……..………...…….10

Chapter 2 Characterization of invasive species………………………………12

2.1. The most dangerous invasive species of the world ….…………………..…… 12

2.2. The most aggressive invasive species……………….……..……… 15
2.3.Invasive species of Russia………………………………………..…… 22

Chapter 3. Expansion of alien species……………………………………… 29


Findings 33

References 35
Applications…………………………………………………………………….37

Introduction


Currently, as a result of anthropogenic activities, tens of thousands of animal and plant species move around our planet every day. However, many of them lead to very serious environmental, social and economic consequences.

Aggressive alien species introduced from other regions (often even from other continents), which spread through the fault of man, produce offspring in very large numbers and spread over a considerable distance from their parents, are called invasive species. They are characterized by active introduction into local communities, in which they often displace native plant species. Invasive Species Invasion - Severe ecological problem all over the world, leading to the so-called« floristic pollution of the territory, is rightfully considered the second largest threat to biological diversity (after habitat destruction).

The study of the process and results of naturalization of alien species isurgent task of our time and became the reasontopic selection my work: Invasive Species: Territory Invaders.

Object of study: fauna - like historically established set of speciesanimalsliving in a given area and included in all of itsbiogeocenoses.

Subject of research are animals (organisms that make up part of the organic world).

Target: conduct a comprehensive analysis of the study of invasive animal species.

Tasks:


  1. To study the etymology of the concepts "invasive species" and "introduction".

  2. Identify the most dangerous and aggressive invasive animal species.

  3. Determine the consequences of the introduction of invasive species.
The novelty of the work. The paper studies the most dangerous and aggressive invasive species that can change the composition of communities, discusses some terminological aspects, as well as the features and consequences of the introduction of alien organisms, which often acquire the character of biological pollution.

Practical significance of the study. The materials obtained can be used in the course of biology (botany and ecology), to expand the ecological culture of schoolchildren and will be transferred to the Rospotrebnadzor of the Tver region to increase the attention of relevant organizations to preserve the uniqueness of the flora and fauna of the Tver region.

The main working method has become a method of selection, systematization and classification of scientific articles on a given topic.

The work of 39 pages, consists of an introduction, 3 chapters, conclusion, list of references, applications.

Chapter 1. Invasive (invasive) species


    1. Etymology of the term "invasive" species
There is no unambiguous and correct definition. In Russian, the term "invasive species" is a morphological transfer from the English phrase invasive species.

In the Western school, the study of invasive species is special discipline, defined as invasive plant ecology, in Russia these species are studied by florists as part of the adventitious floras of the regions and separately by specialists from other areas in terms of the biology and ecology of such species. As a rule, a set of species defined as "invasive" is part of a vast alien or adventive element of the flora, among which they stand out, first of all, by the ability to quickly spread and intrude into various types of cenoses. The website of the Global Invasive Species Program defines: “Invasive alien species are alien ( non- native) organisms that cause or may cause damage environment, economy or human health.

So an invasive alien species means an alien species whose introduction and/or spread threatens biological diversity (species, habitats or ecosystems)¹.

Introduction- means the anthropogenic movement (direct or indirect) of an alien species outside its natural range.

Invasive ("aggressive") species negatively affect the local fauna and flora, which is why they become pests and quarantine objects

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² Negrobov S. O., Filonenko Yu. Ya.Ecological dictionary.- Lipetsk, Leningrad State University, 2001.

1.2. Introduction

Introduction (biological) (from lat. Introduction- "introduction") - intentional or accidental relocation of individuals of any species of animals and plants outside their natural range to new habitats for them. In other words, introduction is the process of introducing alien species into an ecosystem.

Introduced, or alien species (in biology) (from English. Introduced species) - non-indigenous, unusual for a given territory, intentionally or accidentally brought to a new place as a result of human activity.

The process of mastering an introduced species in a new place (adaptation to new environmental conditions) is called acclimatization.

Often introduced species can significantly change the existing ecosystem of the region and cause a significant reduction or even extinction of certain species of local flora and fauna.

Term introduced species for a number of reasons, it is often applied to close, but different concepts. In the same way, when describing the same case, other terms are used that are similar or close in meaning: they speak of acclimatized, adventitious, alien, exotic, invasive, naturalized, non-native, feral, xenobiotic, etc. species. there is a definite difference between some of these concepts.

Most often, the term “introduced” is used as a synonym for the word “alien”, and in this sense, according to the above definition, many horticultural and agricultural crops, such as potatoes, corn, which are widespread in the world, can be attributed to introduced plants. However, some sources add to this definition "...and reproduced in the wild", which leaves out the definition of all cultivated crops that are not able to reproduce without human intervention. For such plants, the term "cultivated" or "ornamental" species¹ is used.

There is some confusion as to whether "invasive" and "introduced" species are fully synonymous. Literally invasive are those species of organisms that, being introduced, capture new territories in a new place, harming the existing ecosystem, that is, they become pests.. The term implies both actual and potential danger. Some dispute the notion of invasiveness, arguing that the extent of the damage is usually beyond calculus, and organisms continue to spread to areas where they never existed, often without regard to whether they can cause harm or not².

1.3. Accidental and deliberate introduction

According to the definition, a species is considered introduced if it has been transferred from its natural range to a new territory as a result of human activity. The introduction can be either intentional or accidental. The intentional introduction of new species was motivated by the fact that these species would be useful to a person in a new place and increase his well-being. So, in connection with the development of new territories, agricultural crops, livestock and wild animals were imported that could diversify the local fauna.

________________

¹ http://dic.academic.ru/dic.nsf/ruwiki/294598

² Introduction and methods of culture of flower and ornamental plants. - M.: Nauka, 1997. - 168 p.

accidental introduction was a side, often undesirable, product of human life - for example, the Colorado potato beetle, rats, cockroaches and synanthropic species of fruit flies spread widely. Further distribution of introduced species already in a new territory can occur both with the help of a person and independently.

intentional introduction. Organisms deliberately transported by humans can adapt to a new location in two different ways.


  1. In the first case, they are specially released into the wild. It is often difficult to predict whether a plant or animal will get along in a new place or not, and sometimes, in the event of an initial failure, repeated attempts were made in the hope that new individuals would improve the survival and reproduction of the species.

  2. In the second case, the distribution in the wild outside the natural range occurred against the will of man: the animals ran away to freedom and ran wild, and the plants began to grow outside the gardens, household plots and agricultural land.
The most common motivation for conscious introduction was the increase in economic income from local biocenoses. During the period of great geographical discoveries, Europeans transported cultivated plants and livestock with them. For example, carp came to the American continent for the purpose of breeding and then spread in the wild ( Cyprinus carpio); ampullaria snails ( Ampullariidae), as a product rich in protein, were introduced to South East Asia, and from there they got to Hawaiian Islands where an entire industry was founded Food Industry . In 1905 to Europe from North America for the sake of valuable fur, muskrats were transported - first they were released into the wild near Prague, and then they settled in the vast territory of Eurasia, even reaching China, Korea and Mongolia. In exactly the same way, arctic foxes appeared on many islands off the coast of Alaska.

Sometimes alien species of animals appear due to the passion for sport hunting and fishing - thus the species used for bait salamander tiger ambistoma (Ambystoma tigrinum) appeared in California, where it displaces a local endemic species California ambistyoma (Ambystoma californiense). Occasionally common domestic animals such as cats, goats, pigs and parrots become wild. Such a new neighborhood does not always benefit the local fauna and flora: for example, feral cats on islands where seabirds unaccustomed to terrestrial predators nest cause a sharp decline in the population and even extinction of local species such as albatrosses and petrels. Settled since the time of the goat pirates on Galapagos Islands eat vegetation, due to which local iguanas survive. The Colorado potato beetle established itself in Europe during World War I and since then began his victorious march across the continent

Sometimes organisms travel with a person and independently find themselves in a new environment for them. For example, three types of rats (black, gray and small) lived in the holds of ships until they moored to a new territory for them. As a result, they are now found even on remote islands, which negatively affects the birds nesting there.

A large number of marine organisms such as shellfish river mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) accidentally ended up in a new location along with transported water used as ballast.

About 200 alien organisms have settled in San Francisco Bay, thus making it the most intruded estuary in the world.

In the first half of the 20th century, together with the transported potatoes, first came to France, and then the Colorado potato beetle was fixed throughout Europe, causing considerable harm. agriculture.

Through botanical gardens and collectors exotic plants North American entered Europe Prickly lobed (Echinocystis lobata); with peasant settlers, he ended up in Central Asia; in Siberia, the ways of penetration of this species are associated with the development of tourism, the intensive development of horticulture. It sometimes occupies quite large spaces, as in the vicinity settlements, and far enough from them and has a high activity for renewal and reproduction.

1.4. Ecological introduction / reintroduction


A special place in the deliberate migration of species is occupied by reintroduction, which consists in the return of species that previously lived in the area, but then disappeared due to human fault. Reintroduction is carried out by interstate and local environmental organizations. One example of such a migration is the reintroduction of the David deer into the Dafin Milu Nature Reserve. Dafeng Milu reserve) near Beijing. This deer was practically exterminated in China in the Middle Ages, and the last individuals remaining in the garden of the emperor died at the end of the 19th century during floods and popular unrest. Miraculously preserved at the courts of Europe, 16 deer marked the beginning of the restoration of the population, part of which was returned to the places where they once lived.

In addition, sometimes due to a particularly alarming situation that threatens the existence of a species, some animals are relocated to similar climatic conditions in order to preserve it. That's what happened to Chinese alligator, which, due to the loss natural places habitat in the Yangtze River valley was on the verge of extinction. To create a reserve of the species, several alligators were relocated to the reserve Rockefeller Wild life in the US state of Louisiana.

Among the introduced species, there are not only animals and plants, but also various microorganisms - viruses, bacteria and fungi, including pathogens. The most widely known spread of the virus smallpox to the American continent along with the first conquistadors in the process of the so-called columbian exchange, as a result of which entire Indian civilizations were destroyed even before Europeans saw them.

In the XX-XXI century, a serious threat is the spread of fungi such as endothia parasitica, which causes chestnut endothium cancer, and Ceratocystis ulmi, disease-causing elms ¹´²´³.

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¹http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki

³Primak R. Fundamentals of Biodiversity Conservation M., From the Scientific and Educational Center, 2002. 256 p.

Chapter 2. Characteristics of invasive species

2.1. The most dangerous invasive species in the world

The list of the 100 most dangerous invasive species was compiled by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) invasive species team. It includes organisms that have had the greatest negative impact on human activities and native species.¹ The list includes 56 animal species ( see table 1.), 36 types of plants, 3 types of fungi, 3 types of chromists, 1 type of protozoa and 2 viruses.

Table 1. Most dangerous species animals


Russian Name

Classification

natural range

Achatina giant

Gastropods: Achatinids

East Africa

common lane

Birds: Starlings

Central and South Asia

Biter white-and-white

Insects: Mosquitoes

Southeast Asia

Malaria mosquito four-spotted

Insects: Mosquitoes

North America

Amur starfish

Sea stars: Asteriidae

Far East

tobacco whitefly

Insects: Whiteflies

Asia

brown boyga

Reptiles: Already-shaped

Southeast Asia, Australia

domestic goat

Mammals: Bovids

Asia

Noble deer

Mammals: Deer

Eurasia

Aphid

Insects: Real aphids

Southern Europe

Frog clariid catfish

Ray-finned fish: Clariidae

Southeast Asia

Carp

Ray-finned fish: Cyprinids

Europe

Dreissena river

Bivalves: Dreissenidae

Europe

Coca

Amphibians: Eleutherodactylidae

South America

Chinese mitten crab

Higher Cancers: Varunidae

Asia

Cat

Mammals: Feline

Africa

common gambusia

Ray-finned fish: Pecilia

North America

small mongoose

Mammals: Mongoose

Asia

Nile perch

Ray-finned fish: Latidae

West Africa

Argentine ant

Insects: Ants

Argentina

Bullfrog

Amphibians:

real frogs



East North America

gypsy moth

Insects: Volnyanki

Eurasia, North Africa

crabeater macaque

Mammals: Monkeys

Southeast Asia

largemouth bass

Ray-finned fish: Centarch fish

North America

house mouse

Mammals: Mouse

Asia

Ermine

Mammals: Mustelids

Eurasia, North America

Nutria

Mammals: Bristly rats

South America

Black Sea mussel

Bivalves: Mussels

Europe

Mikizha

Ray-finned fish: Salmon

West North America

mozambique tilapia

Ray-finned fish: Cichlids

South Africa

wild rabbit

Mammals: Hares

Southern Europe

Corbula Amur

Bivalves: Corbulidae

Far East

Rose-bellied true bulbul

Birds: Bulbul

Asia

black rat

Mammals: Mouse

India

Toad-yeah

Amphibians: Toads

Latin America

Trout

Ray-finned fish: Salmon

Eurasia, North Africa

carolinian squirrel

Mammals:

squirrels


East North America

Ant fire imported red

Insects: Ants

South America

common starling

Birds: Starlings

Eurasia, North Africa

Boar

Mammals: Pigs

Eurasia

Pond slider

Reptiles: American freshwater turtles

East North America

fox kuzu

Mammals: Cuscus

Australia

Kozheed grain

Insects: Kozheedy

India

common wasp

Insects: Real wasps

Eurasia, North America

red fox

Mammals: Canids

Eurasia, Africa, North America

small fire ant

Insects: Ants

Latin America

¹http :// www. nature. su/item/1772

2.2 Most aggressive invasive species
cane toads . In 1935, 60,000 cane toads were released in Queensland, Australia to control insect pests of sugar cane, but these amphibians did not like sugar cane as a habitat, and they dispersed everywhere, leaving pests in perfect health.
Some individuals of cane toads can reach 40 cm in length. These amphibians also do not complain about poor appetite, literally everything goes to them. Unfortunately, the toxic secretions of the skin of toads were not to the taste of Australian predators, and the driest continent of the planet once again faced an uncontrolled increase in the number of aliens. What onlyways to deal with cane toadsthe Australians did not. To combat these amphibians, even cat food was used. Sprinkling cat food near the “place of deployment” of toads, scientists attracted the attention of ants, which attacked amphibians and their offspring. As a result of ant attacks, about 80% of all offspring of cane toads died.

snakehead fish ( snakehead ). This fish, reaching a length of one meter, was brought to Europe from East Asia. The European reservoirs, in which this voracious creature turned out, lost all living things in an instant. The most unpleasant thing was that this fish is able to crawl on its belly overland from one reservoir to another and at the same time breathe atmospheric air for four days.

common starling . Our compatriot Yevgeny Shiffelin, a major manufacturer of medicines and a lover of Shakespeare, was involved in the appearance of the European starling on the North American continent. In 1890, he released 60 birds in New York's Central Park, and 40 more the following year. The starlings liked the New World. Forming numerous states with a number of birds reaching up to a million, they make devastating raids on agricultural lands, causing annual damage to the American economy by 800 million dollars. In addition, birds cause many plane crashes.

Burmese python . Burmese pythons brought to the United States have bred in the south of the country. There are already 30,000 of them in the Florida National Park. Such a large snake, reaching a length of 6 meters, has no natural enemies on the North American continent. Even alligators are found in the stomach of these snakes. According to American naturalists,global warmingwill contribute to the further advancement of these snakes to the north of the country.

Eastern gray squirrel . EThis type of squirrel was brought to the UK from North America. Local British red squirrels are smaller in size, and they have not been able to compete with larger and more aggressive comrades from across the ocean. In addition, foreigners brought a deadly virus from the New World, which began to "mow down" the populations of red squirrels in Great Britain. The authorities of Britain in every possible way stimulate the hunt for foreign squirrels, praising the taste and health benefits of squirrel meat.

African bees . Aggressive African bees were introduced to Brazil from Tanzania as a replacement for European honey bees. African bees took to the New World conditions and spread throughout Brazil and even crossed all the countries of Central America, ending up in the southern states of the United States. A large number of animals and people become victims of their aggression every year.
Asian or Silver carp. The weight of individual individuals of the Asian carp can exceed 45 kilograms. Initially, this fish was brought to one of the ponds in the United States, but as a result of the flood, it ended up in the waters of the Mississippi River, where it successfully multiplied, “eating” local fish species.
Rats. Rats have already settled on 90% of the islands of the oceans. As a result, 60% of the bird and reptile species of most of the islands have disappeared forever. Rat Island is a classic example of such an island.. In 1789, as a result of the wreck of a Japanese ship, Norwegian rats ended up on the shores of this island. Just a few years later, many species of sea birds disappeared from the island. In 2008, the US authorities scattered packages of rat poison all over the island and thus stopped the rampage of rats.
Starfish. Looking like an alien invader, the starfish is a nightmare with skin covered in sharp needles. Usually starfish are 33 cm in diameter and have five rays protruding from the body, which are covered with razor-sharp spines that protect them from most predators. The stars themselves feed on coral polyps. Starfish have become a problem in their native ecosystem due to environmental changes. Thanks to their insatiable appetite and rapid breeding rate, each star in the "herd" can consume up to six m2 of coral reefs per year, destroying massive patches. Scientists believe that the too rapid increase in the number of starfish is caused by human-induced changes in the ocean ecosystem, primarily associated with an increased content of biogenic pollution.

Giant Canada Goose. Although Canada does not have a bird that serves as a symbol of the country, the vast majority of wildlife enthusiasts would attribute this role to the Canada goose, since there are more birds of this species in Canada than any other. Canada goose are responsible for the gradual destruction of the coastline along the mouth of the Gulf of Georgia. This area is of great importance as it is a stopover for many species of migratory birds, and it is also the main habitat for salmon, a commercially endangered fish. Goose destroy the natural habitat of many animals and cause disturbances in the food chain.

Dark tiger python. The majority of invasive species are small animals, however, dark tiger pythons are huge and potentially deadly giants. They first appeared in the Everglades National Park (Florida), the world famous marsh region. This monster, brought to America by conquistadors, is one of the largest snakes on the planet, it grows up to five meters in length and weighs about 90 kg. Now the number of snakes in the Everglades reaches several thousand individuals, and this is more than in their original habitat in South Asia. Giant pythons, with their powerful jaws and sharp teeth, threaten to destroy the ecosystem of the wetland region as they quickly decimate native species, including the normally invulnerable American alligators.

Brown boyga. If a predatory invasive species ends up on an island, the native species usually lack the ability to cope with a threat that they have never encountered before. Coupled with the lack of predators higher up in the food chain, this could lead to the extinction of native species.

When brown boygies arrived on the island of Guam after World War II, in the cargo holds of ships, they caused the largest environmental disaster caused by introductions. Poisonous snakes have destroyed most of the vertebrates native to the forests of the island, they also bite people, and their bites are very painful. In addition, the Boigis have caused frequent power outages as they have invaded human settlements. In safe conditions, boigas grow up to three meters in length due to an unnaturally large amount of food. To control the number of reptiles, the introduction of toxins into dead mice, which snakes love to eat, is used.

Domestic cat. Cats are considered man's second best friends, but they also have a reputation as the most dangerous invasive predators, as they intensively destroy the local fauna when they find themselves in a foreign environment. Through direct and indirect human assistance, stray cats have killed millions of continental songbirds, ill-equipped to fend off stealth attacks from a growing number of predators.

The presence of cats on the islands has catastrophic consequences: an unprecedented case is known when the cat of one person caused the complete extinction of one of the bird species in New Zealand - the Stefanov bush wren. On many islands and continents, invasive cats have reduced bird and small mammal populations. However, there is a downside: some scientists believe that cats can help humans control populations of small predators such as rats.

Crab-eating macaque. Most often, ecologists call humans the main invasive species on the planet, but we rarely imagine monkeys in this role. However, crab-eating macaques are included in the list of the 100 most dangerous invasive species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Crab-eating macaques are carnivorous primates that have invaded a number of islands in an unnatural habitat for them thanks to human assistance. Like many terrestrial predators, crabeater macaques, which also have the rudiments of intelligence, threaten the reproduction of tropical birds and, according to some experts, may be responsible for the rapid extinction of already endangered species.

Macaques can also pose a danger to humans because they carry a deadly strain of the herpes virus that has symptoms similar to herpes simplex, but without proper treatment can lead to brain damage and death.

Cow corpse. Initially, cow trupials lived on the plains of North America, where they coexisted with buffaloes and fed on insects climbing around these large herbivorous insects. However, the increase in the number of buffaloes began to prevent the birds from building nests and raising offspring - then the cow corpses began to throw their eggs into the nests of other birds, which is why their own chicks of these species cannot develop normally.

In addition, the reduction of forest areas in some habitats of trupials led to their spread to thousands of km2 of forests, where they caused a decrease in the number of forest songbirds, whose own chicks were doomed to starvation. However, cow corpses have managed to reduce even the rare Kirtland treeworts.

Colorado potato beetle- one of the most unusual species of insects in terms of its activity, which, already in the memory of people, switched to feeding on the leaves of cultivated potatoes (and to a lesser extent tomatoes, eggplants, etc.) from wild nightshade. The harmfulness of the beetle is determined by several factors. The fecundity of the beetle is very high, with one female usually laying about 700 eggs, and the maximum recorded fecundity was 3382 eggs. At the same time, depending on the climatic and geographical conditions, up to 3 generations of insects can be replaced during the warm period. In this case, theoretically, the offspring of one female can reach 30 million individuals by the end of the season. For a month, each beetle destroys more than 4 g of leaf mass, the larva - about 1 g. Depending on the degree of damage to the potato tops by pests, the yield can be significantly reduced. So, during the laying of tubers, the most sensitive to leaf damage, only 10 larvae of the Colorado potato beetle on a bush can reduce the yield by 10-15%, 15 larvae - by 50%, 40-50 larvae - by 100%. Uncontrolled reproduction of the pest can completely destroy the potato crop¹´².

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¹http://www.priroda.su/item/1772

²http://www.publy.ru/post/4985

2.3 Invasive species of Russia

The territory of Russia, of course, is no exception, it is also subject to invasions of alien species of plants and animals. In some cases, the status of pests is gradually acquired by intentionally imported (introduced) species (more often this applies to vertebrates and ornamental plants). Usually, potentially dangerous species are brought in accidentally with various products and goods, with transport (or on it), with personal luggage of passengers, as a result of ill-conceived imports for the purpose of study, and even smuggling.

There are conditionswhich allow classifying specific species, for example, the flora of Central Russia, as invasive:


  • the species is alien (adventive) for most regions of Central Russia;

  • the species must be noted in at least 70% of all regions that make up Central Russia;

  • in regions where the species is present, it must be at the stage of epecophyte or agriophyte at least in part of the territory;

  • according to the results of long-term observations from the moment of the first discovery, the species shows a tendency to active dispersal;

  • the species may (but need not) be a source of economic damage¹.
Work on the acclimatization of fish in the inland waters of Russia has been carried out since the second half of the 18th century, when carp was brought into the ponds near St. Petersburg. Over the past 250 years, 58 species of fish have been acclimatized (of which 20 species are for the purpose of naturalization).

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¹ http://www.sevin.ru/invasive/publications/panov_02_pr.html

Of course, the most extensive work has been carried out since the middle of the 20th century. Only in 1961-1971. up to 400 fish transportations per year were carried out. The fish were relocated both to regions remote from their natural range and to water bodies located close to their usual habitats.

Very good example first case - pink salmon. The natural spawning range of this salmon is located mainly in the basin Far Eastern seas- from Bering to Japanese.
From 1956 to 1987, pink salmon was periodically introduced into the rivers of the North-West region of Russia, belonging to the basin of the Barents and White Seas. Currently, this fish comes to spawn in the rivers from Murmansk to the Yugorsky Peninsula, and is also found off the coast of the British Isles, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Svalbard. But between the natural, Far Eastern range and the new distribution area, there are vast water areas of the Siberian shelf seas, in which pink salmon is not found.

Successfully passed the acclimatization of the Black Sea-Azov mullet mullet (Liza aurata) in the Caspian Sea and the Far East pelengas mullet(Liza lauvergnii) introduced into the Black Sea-Azov basin. Acclimatized in the same way vendace-ripusa (Coregonus albula) and a number of other species of this genus. Their natural range is confined to the basin Baltic Sea, and acclimatized them in the Ural River basin.

Very famous example– successful remote acclimatization gambusia. The natural range of the gambusia is the water bodies of America: from the USA (Illinois and New Jersey) in the north to Argentina in the south. Gambusia is a small fish, from 3.5 to 7.5 cm long, and females are often larger than males. Gambusia's favorite food is mosquito larvae and pupae. It is because of this gastronomic predilection that these fish have become the most popular object of introduction and acclimatization in many countries where malaria was common.

In the second half 19th century from Western Europe imported for commercial cultivation rainbow trout (parasalmo mikissirideus) , then American smallmouth palia(Salvelina fontinalis) and a number of other types. However, this direction of acclimatization gained a truly wide scope only in the second half of the 20th century, when they began to import and release into ponds such species as peled (Coregonus peled), chir (Coregonus nasus),whitefish (Coregonus muksun), whitefish (Coregonus pidschian), white(Hypophalmichthys molitrix) And bighead carp (Aristichthys nobilis) and others.

Intentional introduction also includes the release of aquarium fish into natural reservoirs. In Russia, however, there are few such examples. This is first of all guppies (Poecilla reticulata). Discarded by negligent aquarists, these American fish have adapted to live in rivers near heated water discharge sites and in warm settling ponds in Moscow, Tver, Yaroslavl, Rybinsk, Voronezh and some other cities. Another well-known example is the Far Eastern rotan firebrand(perccotus gleni), populated many reservoirs in the region of St. Petersburg and Moscow.

However, rotan settled in the waters of the European part of Russia, not only thanks to aquarists. It was brought here unintentionally. (We will tell in more detail about the history of the settlement of this amazing species in the next issues of our newspaper.) Among other fish that settled in the inland waters of Russia due to unintentional, accidental Amur chebachka (Pseudorasbora parva), "penetrated" from China into the basins of the Black and Azov Seas, a small star button (Benthophilus stellatus), brought from the mouths of the Black and Azov Seas to the Volga basin, chubby igloo fish (Syngnathus Abaster), settled in the reservoirs of the rivers flowing into the Black, Azov and Caspian Sea. All of them turned out to be undesirable components of ecosystems, but they have adapted to live and reproduce in them very successfully¹´².

The scale of the introduction of animal species (mammals, insects) for Russia at the level of subjects of the Russian Federation is shown on the maps ( rice. 12). The most uniform picture is shown by mammals, the deliberate introduction of which was carried out for a long time and over large areas in order to "enrich the local commercial fauna." The largest number of introducers was noted for the Leningrad, Tver, Moscow, Voronezh, Ryazan, Tomsk, Sakhalin regions, Krasnodar and Primorsky territories, Dagestan, Bashkortostan. No relationship was found between the natural level of taxonomic diversity and the number of introducers. Apparently, the current picture is largely determined by the activity of scientific and practical organizations that introduced commercial species.

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¹ Zotova N.Yu. Problems of invasion and introduction of fish in Russia, "Biology", publishing house September 1, 2010

²Alimov A.F., Orlova M.I., Panov V.E. Consequences of introductions of alien species for aquatic ecosystems and the need for measures to prevent them. In: Invader Species in the European Seas of Russia. Collection of scientific papers. Apatity, ed. Kola Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2000, pp. 12-23.

Fig.1.Number of introduced mammal species

Fig.2.Number of introduced insect species.

The distribution of regions by the number of introduced fish species demonstrates the deliberate nature of the introduction in the process of enrichment of the local commercial ichthyofauna. The largest number of species is introduced in the Chelyabinsk, Sverdlovsk, Rostov regions and in Tatarstan.

Regions with a large number of introduced insects are associated with points of entry into Russia of various cargoes (ports, large railway junctions). And their distribution along the borders of the country reflects the unintentional nature of the introduction typical of this group.

In the territory former USSR settled about 100 alien species of herbivorous insects. In other regions of the world, the number of settled alien species of insects is much larger. There are more than 1,500 of them in the USA. Of the 600 most serious plant pests, 235 here are alien species. In Japan, out of 198 insect species of alien origin, 72% are classified as harmful (while the proportion of pests among local herbivorous species does not exceed 7%)

For 30 years, the area occupied in Russia by the Colorado potato beetle has increased 12,190 times. During the same period, the area occupied by the American white butterfly has increased 832 times here.

In general, it can be argued that at the current level of development of the introduction process on the territory of Russia and neighboring countries, it is not possible to catch the impact on the success of the introduction of the level of local biological diversity. In most cases, the distribution of introduced species is associated with cultural or significantly transformed natural ecosystems, and they are not part of natural communities. At the same time, the introduction leads to an increase in the level of biological diversity.

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¹Izhevsky S.S. Alien insects as biopollutants. Ecology. 1995. No. 2. pp.119-122. ²Izhevsky S.S. Penetration of alien herbivorous insects on the territory of Russia // Protection and quarantine rast. 2002. No. 1. With. 28-31.

Features inproduction process in Russia:


  • A large area of ​​the country with the actual absence internal control for the transfer of species;

  • The history of Russia is full of wars of a continental and regional nature, accompanied by intensive transportation of military and civilian goods, people;

  • For a long time on the territory of the USSR, a policy of resettlement and acclimatization of organisms was carried out in order to increase the productivity of ecosystems and obtain new food products;

  • The constant need to build roads, canals and reservoirs, large cities;

  • High level of commercial traffic and relatively weak control over the transfer of invaders across the state border;

  • Insufficiently developed legislation regarding introductions and accidental introduction of organisms from other countries;

  • Poor development of information support for monitoring alien species and poor development of the system of education and enlightenment in the field of aggressive introduced species;

  • Weak funding for research on alien species;

  • Fairly widespread among the population are hobbies associated with home keeping and breeding of exotic plants and animals, some of which, once in natural habitats, turn into typical invasive species.

Despite the fact that most living organisms on Earth live peacefully and in harmony with Mother Nature, there are those that are absolute predators, being in a state of constant competition with other life forms.

According to most dictionaries, an invasive ("aggressive") species is a plant or animal that is not endemic to a particular area. In other words, it is an introduced species that has a tendency to spread and is capable of causing damage to the environment, the human economy and human health.

Some of these invasive creatures have caused the extinction of entire species and caused irreparable damage to the surrounding ecosystem. Regardless of the above, don't be fooled into thinking that these creatures are scary and at least look dangerous. Some of these creatures have actually been kept as pets because they are very cute or even exotic. However, the sad reality is that when introduced into an environment where there were no natural predators before, these animals go out of control and completely take over the respective areas. From the adorable gray squirrel to the intimidating dark tiger python, here are 25 of the most invasive creatures on earth.

25. American Ctenophora (American Comb Jelly)

Ctenophore, also known as the comb jelly, is endemic to temperate, subtropical estuaries along the Atlantic coast North and South America. In the early 1980s, this species was accidentally introduced through ship ballast water into the Black Sea, with catastrophic consequences for the entire ecosystem. In the last two decades of the 20th century, this species invaded the Azov, Marmara, Aegean Seas and was recently introduced into the Caspian Sea via the ballast water of oil tankers.

24. Nile perch (Nile Perch)

Nile perch is a big freshwater fish, which can grow up to 200 kilograms and reach two meters in length. It was introduced to Lake Victoria in 1954, where it contributed to the extinction of over two hundred endemic fish species through predation and competition for food.

23. Cats


Believe it or not, domesticated cats, whose history can be traced back three thousand years to the eastern Mediterranean, are among the most invasive creatures on Earth. Given how highly valued cats are as pets, it's no surprise that people have since bred them in almost every part of the world. As prominent predators, cats threaten endemic bird species and other fauna, especially on islands where native species have evolved in relative isolation from predators.

22. Cannibal Snail


The cannibal snail has been introduced to the Indian and Pacific islands since the 1950s as a biological agent to control the Achatina giant population. As its name suggests, this snail eats everything in its path, even members of its own species.

21. Chinese mitten crab (Chinese Freshwater Edible Crab)


The scientific name of this species is Eriocheir sinensis. The Chinese mitten crab is a migratory crab that has invaded Europe and North America from Asia. During mass migrations, this species contributes to the temporary disappearance of endemic invertebrates. It shapes its habitat by causing erosion through its intense burrowing and costing fisheries and aquaculture several hundred thousand dollars a year by eating bait and caught fish and damaging equipment.

20. Koki (Caribbean Tree Frog)


Koki is relatively small tree frog endemic to Puerto Rico. Their loud calls are the main reason they are considered pests, as their two-note "Ko-Ki" sounds can reach almost one hundred decibels at a distance of 0.5 meters. Koki also have an insatiable appetite and there is concern in Hawaii that endemic species of insects and spiders are endangered due to the unusual appetite of this frog species.

19. Frog Clariy Catfish (Walking Catfish)


The frog clariid catfish is endemic to South-East Asia and has been introduced to many places for fish farming. Frog catfish feed when they can and can go months without food. During a drought, a large number of these catfish can gather in separate small reservoirs and eat others, even causing their complete extinction.

18. Amur starfish (Japanese Starfish)


The Amur starfish, originally found in the far waters of the North Pacific Ocean and areas near Japan, Russia, North China and Korea, has successfully invaded the southern coasts of Australia and has the potential to move as far north as Sydney. This star consumes a wide range of prey and can cause environmental and economic damage wherever it is found.

17. Raspberry Crazy Ant


Rabid Rasberry Ants have invaded natural ecosystems and caused environmental damage from Hawaii to the Seychelles and Zanzibar. On Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean, they formed a super colony with several queens. They also destroy populations of red land crabs (Gecarcoidea natalis). Rabid ants also prey on or interfere with the reproduction of a variety of arthropods, reptiles, birds, and mammals found in the forest floor and canopy.

16. Malaria mosquitoes(Common Malaria Mosquito)


Anopheles quadrimaculatus (as the species is scientifically called) is the mosquito mosquito that is responsible for most cases of malaria in North America. They tend to inhabit areas with abundant root aquatic vegetation, such as paddy fields and adjacent irrigation canals, freshwater swamps, and vegetated edges of lakes, ponds, and reservoirs.

15. Asian long-horned Beetle


The Asian barbel is a large tree-boring beetle that is endemic to Asian countries including Japan, Korea, and China. It was first introduced to the US back in the mid 90s, twenty years later it threatens 30-35 percent of the trees in urban areas of the eastern US. The economic, environmental, and aesthetic consequences would be disastrous for the US if the beetle continues to spread.

14. Asian Yellow Fever Mosquito (Asian Tiger Mosquito)


The Asian yellow fever mosquito is spread by international trade tires due to rainwater accumulating in the tires when they are stored under open sky. In order to control its spread along such trade routes, sterilization measures or quarantine measures should be taken. The Asian yellow fever mosquito is a carrier of many human diseases, including dengue fever, West Nile virus, and Japanese encephalitis.

13. Dark tiger python (Burmese Python)


Dark tiger pythons can be popular pets because of their attractive coloration and known docility, as well as the charm (for some, anyway) of owning a giant snake. However, as predators, dark tiger pythons pose a threat to endangered wildlife in South Florida. Their rapid and widespread distribution is due to aspects of their natural history, including their varied habitat use, unassuming dietary preferences, long lifespan, high reproductive rate, and ability to travel long distances.

12. Starlings

Don't let their bright colors fool you. The common starling is an actively aggressive competitor in any habitat. It always actively claims nesting sites for endemic bird species, driving them out and throwing their eggs out of the nests. They compete with native birds for space and food, and carry diseases and mites that spread to endemic bird species and to humans. Starlings are also a threat to farmers, as flocks of these birds can destroy crops.

11. Killer Bees


Despite the fact that the 1974 film of the same name instilled fear in everyone of these bees, the venom of these bees is no more toxic than that of the European bee. However, they are very aggressive and sting much more often, and some victims even get more than a thousand bites. Besides being a threat to humans, they are also relatively lazy when it comes to honey production, which also makes them a threat to agricultural stability.

10. Carolina Squirrel (Gray Squirrel)

The Carolina squirrel may be nice to look at, especially in Vancouver's Stanley Park, but it is an invasive mammal from British Columbia, which, according to the list of the Invasive Species Specialist Group, is in the top 100 most invasive species in the world. This small mammal has a great ecological effect, often spreading disease (parapoxvirus). This squirrel species displaces native birds from their nesting areas and eats bird eggs and chicks.

9. River Dreissena (Zebra Mussels)


River mussels are small, fingernail-sized creatures that attach themselves to the surface of solid bodies in the water. One female is capable of producing 100,000 to 500,000 eggs per year, contributing to their successful dispersal. They develop into microscopic, free-living larvae that begin to form shells, taking over huge lakes.

8. Snakehead Fish


The snakehead is a species of snakehead endemic to China, Russia, North Korea and South Korea. In Europe, the first report of the species came from the Czech Republic in 1956. In the US, this fish is considered a highly invasive species, which has already led to increased awareness through media coverage and two horror films.

7. Whitefly tobacco (Cotton Whitefly)


The tobacco whitefly lives on all continents except Antarctica. It is believed that the tobacco whitefly spread throughout the world through the transport of plant products that were infected with these insects. Once introduced into a new habitat, this species spreads rapidly and, through its feeding habits and disease transmission, causes widespread death of crops.

6. Wild rabbit


The wild rabbit is one of the most common and numerous mammals in Australia. It causes serious damage to the environment natural environment and agriculture. Population control of this rabbit is complicated by welfare and harvesting issues, and by the fact that endemic and introduced predators feed on wild rabbits in many parts of Australia. Invader and victim at the same time? In fact, that's exactly what it is.

5. Yeah (Cane Toad)


Aga toads have been introduced in many countries as biological control agents for various insect pests of sugarcane and other crops. However, the toads themselves turned out to be pests. They feed on almost any land animal and compete with native amphibians for food and breeding sites. Their toxic secretions cause sickness and death in domestic animals such as dogs and cats that come into contact with them, as well as in wild animals such as snakes and lizards.

4. Black rat


The black rat, endemic to the Indian subcontinent, has now spread throughout the world. This species is widely distributed in forests and woodlands, and is also able to live inside and around buildings. They eat or damage almost any edible thing. To understand just how invasive this creature is, just remember that it is most often associated with the catastrophic decline of bird populations on the islands.

3. Brown Tree Snake


When the brown boiga accidentally came to Guam, it caused the extinction of almost all bird and lizard species endemic to the island. The introduction also caused "cascading" ecological effects, removing natural pollinators and causing further declines in endemic plant species. The fragility of the ecosystems of other Pacific islands that are shipped from Guam has made the potential spread of Guam brown succulent a major problem.

2. Lionfish


The beautiful and deadly lionfish are known for their voracious appetite. Their numbers threaten life coral reefs that serve as a habitat for other fish species. endemic Pacific Ocean lionfish were marketed for their bizarre appearance, which led to their spread throughout the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Caribbean.

1. People


The number of people on Earth has exceeded 7 billion and continues to grow. Humans are responsible for extinction various kinds living organisms - from animals and insects to plants and marine life. Apart from this, no other creature has shown such negative impact on the atmosphere, nature and other people like ourselves.