Endangered, Invasive, and Reintroduced Species in PA By: Blaine Abriatis

Table of Contents Endangered Species Invasive Species Reintroduced Species

Endangered Species Definition: a species whose numbers are so small that the species is at risk of extinction. Common Reasons for Endangerment: 1. Habitat destruction 2. Introduction of exotic species 3. Overexploitation 4. Pollution 5. Limited distribution

Prevention of Endangerment Help to conserve habitats Make space for our wildlife Reduce, reuse, and recycle Plant native plants Control introduced plants and animals

Endangered Species in PA Animals: Indiana Bat (Myotis sodalis) Eastern Cougar/Puma(Puma concolor couguar) Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) Plants: Northeastern Bulrush (Scirpus ancistrochaetus) Twig-Rush (Cladium mariscoides)

Indiana Bat These bats are endangered because of habitat loss due to tourism and mining. This started to happen in the 1800s and then in 2007 they started dying from a disease called white nose syndrome. This is why the Indiana Bat is endangered.

Eastern Cougar The main reason these cougars are endangered is because of deforestation in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Another reason their population decreased is their food source was almost completely taken. As soon as deer hunting became popular the cougar’s population numbers decreased. This resulted in it becoming endangered.

Peregrine Falcon These falcons are another victim to the DDT use in the 60s and 70s. This resulted in their eggshells becoming thin and the unborn chicks dying. DDT is still used in other countries where the falcons migrate to in the winter.

Northeastern Bulrush This plant is endangered because its habitat is being destroyed or altered. When people fill in or dig out a wetland it will change the water levels and cause this plant to die. It is becoming more adaptive to these changes though and will hopefully come off the endangered species list.

Twig Rush This rush is quite abundant in other states. It is endangered in PA because the waters it needs to live in have to have pH levels that are high in alkaline. The waters in PA don’t offer this pH level so that is why they are endangered in PA.

Invasive Species Explanations Common ways they enter our country Negative effects Examples of invasive species

Explanations Native Species- Native species are considered those that are part of the composition of a natural representative ecosystem of an area where a project site is located. Introduced Species- An introduced, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its native distributional range, which has arrived there by human activity, either deliberate or accidental Invasive Species- an alien species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health, as defined by the Department of Agriculture.

How they enter our country Most common ways they enter our country: Introduced by humans Brought into the U.S. for a specific reason and became invasive Unintentionally through storage crates shipped from other countries Naturally through the course of nature Come in through soil from other regions in the world

Negative Effects Most common negative effects: They threaten native species Compete with other species for resources They degrade the natural resources They can effect waterways for example, and indirectly effect humans

Examples of Invasive Species Animals: Bighead carp (Hypophtalmichtys nobilis) Gypsy Moth (Lymantria dispar) Emerald Ash Boring Beetle (Agrilus planipennis) Plants: Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) Kudzu (Pueraria lobata)

Bighead Carp Originated from Asia. Niche in PA- Is a bottom-feeder and is eaten only by people Niche in Asia- Same as in PA Introduced Environment- Lakes like Lake Erie Problem- They compete with other fish for food and make the other fish populations drop.

Gypsy Moth Originated from Asia. It feeds off of many trees in PA. It is responsible for deforestation in other states like Michigan. It has the same niche in Asia as in PA. They eat all the leaves off trees and they can destroy whole forests.

Emerald Ash Boring Beetle Originated in Asia. These beetles eat just below the bark of ash trees and lay their eggs there. Their larvae will then take the nutrients from the tree and eventually kill the tree. These beetles are responsible for over 2 billion dollars worth of lumber being destroyed in the past few years. (Below is a picture of a tree that has been killed)

Japanese Honeysuckle Originated in Asia. It will wrap around small saplings and form dense mats in the canopies of trees. This creates shade for the plants below and harms them greatly. It is very dense so it provides cover and shelter for some animals.

Kudzu Originated from Japan. It can provide shelter and cover for animals because it is so dense. This also hurts other plants because they aren’t getting the sunlight they need to survive. It is spreading at 150,000 acres a year.

Reintroduced/ Extirpated Species Reintroduced- A species that left the area and then was put back into that area Extirpated- A species that has become extinct in a certain area. American Elk (Cervus elaphus)

American Elk This animal was reintroduced in PA to help restore the animal to its original area. They introduced 24 elk from Wyoming and other western states to help get the population of elk in PA up. It has been a success, because in 2000 there were an estimated 566 elk living in PA.

Sources http://www.biologicaldiversity.org http://www.easterncougar.org www.defenders.org http://www.fws.gov http://www.endangeredspecie.com http://books.google.com http://alic.arid.arizona.edu http://www.esa.org http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov http://www.invasive.org http://www.mhhe.com