2. Scaryus eatumupis  Over past 200 years, several thousand foreign plant & animal species have become established in the US!

3. 1 in 7 has become INVASIVE  Push aside native species  Harm human health and the environment  Reduce productivity & ecological balance

4. Where do they come from??  Enter the United States by: Cower in cratesCower in crates Snuggle in shipsSnuggle in ships Hide inside fruits, vegetables, & meatsHide inside fruits, vegetables, & meats Carried on clothingCarried on clothing  “Hitchhiking Pests and Diseases”

6. Where did it Come From?  1869: a French Monk brought some Gypsy Moths to the U.S. to experiment with them. Some escaped.  1993: a ship docked in North Carolina, opened its cargo hold, and dozens of Gypsy Moths were released.

7. Discussion Time!  Red Fish go to corner #1.  Seahorse go to corner #2.  Shark go to corner #3.  Manta Ray go to corner #4.  How could you have stopped the spread of the moths?  Would you have warned anyone about their release?

8. Where did it Invade?  The first Gypsy Moths invaded Massachusetts and now reside in 15 states.  1993: invasion originated in NC and has spread through the South Eastern U.S.

9. Niche?  4 stages of life: egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa, adult.  Eat leaves and spends its day foraging for food.  It has no known predators in the U.S.  Talk to your table: If there are no predators in the US, do you think they have predators in other countries? Why? What animals can you think of?

10. Effect on Environment It Invaded  Current U.S. Gypsy Moth population could eat all of the leaves on 13 million acres of trees in 1 season.  How could this be a devastating effect on the forest ecosystem? Talk to your table.  Caterpillars crawl on homes and fall in pools making outdoor activities hard to enjoy.

12. Where did it invade?  1984: European cargo ship was emptied in Lake Huron. It accidentally let loose the water flea that was trapped inside.  1987: it could be found in all five Great Lakes.

13. Niche?  Reproduce rapidly =10 babies every 2 weeks  Lay eggs in winter & hatch in summer  Eat plankton  Predators cannot eat the flea because the barbs on its tail choke the fish  Crustacean

14. Effect on the Environment it Invaded?  The threat posed by the flea is not completely understood  High reproductive rate  Devour native plankton  What do you think the loss of plankton means to the environment? Talk to your table.  Damage to lake’s ecosystem causing harm to other species in the food chain.

16. Where is It From?  Nutria are native to Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay.  1899: Brought to US to be used in the fur trade

17. Where Did It Invade?  1930: nutria were released on an island in Louisiana to start a commercial breeding farm. Several animals escaped.  Spread throughout the Southern U.S  Can be found throughout the entire U.S

18. Niche?  Live in streams, lakes, ponds, and swamps  Eat both water and land plants.  Reproduce rapidly  Swim and have buck teeth like beavers  Hosts for many parasites

19. Effect on Environment It Invaded  Eat all the plants and leave nothing but mud  Native species have nothing to eat  Eat agricultural crops like cabbage and lettuce  Host many parasites and pass parasites to native wildlife and humans leading to outbreaks of disease!

20. Discussion Time!  Talk to your table: How do you feel about this? Talk about your feelings both positive and negative so far about non-native species.

22. Where Is It From?  Native to the Sahara in East Africa  1966: a boy smuggled 3 African snails into the U.S. as pets

23. Where did it Invade?  Miami, Florida: His grandmother eventually released the snails into her garden.  7 years later more than 180,000 snails were found in Florida.  It took the state of Florida 10 years and over $1 million to get rid of these pests!

24. Talk to your table!  From this example, is it easy for just one person to introduce a new species to a new environment?

25. Niche?  Much larger than native snails and therefore out competes them  Hibernate to survive the cold months  Reproduces fast = 1,200 eggs per year!  It eats 500 types of plants  Host for many parasites

26. Effect on Environment it Invaded  Can pass on diseases to humans and wildlife  Lives a long time (9 years)  It can out-compete native snails for food  Eats melons and papaya  Hibernates = can survive almost anywhere in the U.S.

27. Discussion Time!  Each table: person whose first name is the longest go to corner #1  Person whose first name is the next longest got to corner #2  Person whose first name is the next longest go to corner #3  Remaining person go to corner #4

28. Question  What have you learned so far about non-native species? Be prepared to share with the class!

30. Where Did It Invade  Invaded the island of Guam (a U.S. territory)!  Since WW II, the snake has taken over almost all of the island!  There are as many as 12,000 snakes per mile on Guam!!

31. Where Is It From?  The Brown Tree Snake is native to Australia.  It was brought over concealed in a WW II military transport plane.

32. Niche?  Mildly venomous and kills its prey by injecting venom.  Very good climber as it forages for food and water.  Nocturnal  Eats lizards, birds, and small mammals.  Lays 12 eggs at a time 2 times each year

33. Effect on Environment it Invaded  Too late to save Guam’s wildlife from the snake. It has decimated the native population of birds, mammals, and amphibians.  Climb along electric wires causing power outages every 6 days!  Raid homes killing pet birds!  Reached carrying capacity on Guam and are searching out habitat elsewhere!  Climbed aboard ships and made it to Hawaii 6 times. (Luckily they were caught…it would only take one pregnant female…….)  What a great movie this would make!

34. Time to talk!  Corner #1: Whose birthday month comes first at your table!  Corner #2: Whose birthday month comes second!  Corner #3: Whose birthday month comes third!  Corner#4: Whose birthday month comes last!

35. Discuss!  Why do you think people bring non- native species into other countries?  Do you think they really know the consequences?  What can you do to help?