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Kayla Stubbs Ms. Patroni English 111 13/11/13

Invasive Species Native Species: A species that normally lives and thrives in a particular ecosystem. This can include any species that developed with the surrounding habitat, and can be assisted or affected by a new species. Non Native Species: Any plants or animals originating in a part of the world other than where they are growing Invasive Species: Not native to and tending to spread widely in a habitat or environment. Invasive species often have few natural predators or other biological controls in their new environment.

"There are approximately 50,000 foreign species and the number is increasing. About 42% of the species on the Threatened or Endangered species lists are at risk primarily because of alien-invasive species."(Science Direct) I believe more research should be conducted on the invasive species located in the United States to discover what positive benefits they might possess and how their populations might be controlled.

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Canadian geese were close to extinction when officials from New York stepped in to raise populations, from 1958 to 1963 hundreds of geese were released into the state's parks and forests (Watson 10 Invasive Species That Cost the U.S. a Bundle) Now the opposite problem has arisen, New York alone has over 200,000 geese and the people aren't happy; the flocks soil parks and lakes, strip fields and interfere with air craft. (Watson) "According to one report, over the last ten years they have struck 78 planes in the area, costing $2.2 million in aircraft damage and killing at least 24. In fact, 2009's "Miracle on the Hudson" plane crash was caused by Canada geese." (Watson) Steps have been taken to lower the gaggles of geese, bag limits for hunters have been dramatically increased and around 14,000 of the birds have been gassed. Yet what of their benefits ? Canadian Geese are often enjoyed for recreational activities such as bird watching and sport hunting, they also serve as seed dispersers and their eggs supply food for other animals such as the fox and turtle. (Paulin, Positive Benefits and Negative Impacts of Canada Geese ) Geese have great potential and deserve a chance to live up to that potential, they feed other animals, increase soil fertility and provide entertainment. The Florida swamplands have always been infested with large scary animals but the swamp club has gained another member, the python. From pet Burmese Pythons to wild African Rock Python the Florida everglades have been overrun with large aggressive snakes. "Experts worry that the new snakes might be interbreeding with the Burmese pythons, yielding what some officials have referred to as a "super snake." Thus far, the pythons have largely stayed in the Florida swamps, but experts warn that the new hybrid could be very adaptable, potentially spreading as far north as Virginia and all the way to California. Along the way, the snakes -which are capable of eating goats and crocodiles -- could eventually pose a major threat to children, pets and livestock." (Watson) Giant snakes all over the east coast what a nightmarish

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thought or... perhaps not , scientists at the University of Colorado at Boulder have discovered that the blood of adult Burmese Pythons could help patients suffering from heart disease. " After pythons eat a meal, their organs including their hearts nearly double in size within a day. Now, researchers have learned how the snakes are able to achieve this sort of growth without heart damage, a finding that could lead to new therapies for human heart disease." (Pappas Python hears may help us get a grip on cardiac disease) "The python heart is able to burn these fats as fuel very, very efficiently, without any harm to it," (Leslie Leinwand, chief scientific officer for the Biofrontiers Institute and a professor in CUs Molecular, Cellular, and Development Biology Department) So from a terrible monster who will eat the family dog to a medical marvel who has the potential to help fight heart disease.

Kudzu was originally for erosion control yet this plant seems to have done its job a bit too well. Capable of growing over 1 foot a day it has managed to cover over 2 million acres of forestland in about 137 years. (MacDonald, Kudzu ) In the south most people are used to seeing kudzu everywhere, it grows up telephone poles, it covers cars, anything in its way will quickly be covered over and deprived of light, smothered under the vines. It even has poems about it. " Far Eastern vines Run from the clay banks they are Supposed to keep from eroding. Up telephone poles, Which rear, half out of leafage As though they would shriek, Like things smothered by their own Green, mindless, unkillable ghosts. In Georgia, the legend says That you must close your windows At night to keep it out of the house. The glass is tinged with green, even so," (Dickey, Kudzu) Kudzu does have many uses, baskets are made with it, paper, food stuffs such as kudzu blossom jelly and even deep fried kudzu leaves.

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I am not attempting to persuade you that all invasive species are wonderful and that they can be more useful than harmful some are just bad all around such as the 'fish from hell' as some Marylanders call it. The snakehead fish is an ugly devil with a bad reputation, it can migrate on land and it devastates the ecosystems of the lakes and rivers it is found in. (Wilson, Maryland puts gift card bounty on 'fish from hell) Killer Bees or Africanized bees are another fine example; they are lousy honey producers and, despite their venom being no more toxic than the average European honey bee they keep on stinging over and over with some victims receiving over 1,000 stings. (Webley, Killer Bees ) Species such as this are bad, they affect crops and other animals and they don't really have any alternate uses.

Invasive species in the US is a serious issue that has a bad reputation, some things are bad -zebra mussels and some things are good - Himalayan Blackberries. More research is required before it can be said that all invasive species are bad, some do have very positive benefits that can improve our lives. An invasive species is not something to despise and fear, it is a new resource that has unlimited potential and should be treated as such.

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Works Cited Watson, Bruce. "10 Invasive Species That Cost the U.S. a Bundle." http://www.dailyfinance.com. Daily Finance, 25 Aug 2010. Web. 30 Oct 2013.

MacDonald, Greg. "Kudzu." Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants. University of Florida, n.d. Web. 30 Oct 2013. <plants.ifas.ufl.e du/node/354>.

Dickey, James. "Kudzu." Poem Webley, Kayla. "Killer Bees." Time Lists. Time.com, 02 Feb 2010. Web. 30 Oct 2013.

Wilson, Greg. ". Maryland puts gift card bounty on 'fish from hell'" http://www.foxnews.com. Fox News, 05 Apr 2012. Web. 30 Oct 2013.

Paulin, Joseph . "Positive Benefits and Negative Impacts of Canada Geese." http://www.nrcs.usda.gov. USDA. Web. 30 Oct 2013. <http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs141p2_018050.pdf>.

Pappas, Stephanie. "Python hearts may help us get a grip on cardiac disease." www.nbcnews.com. www.nbcnews.com, 27 Oct 2011. Web. 30 Oct 2013.

Pimentel, David. "Ecological Economics." Science Direct. Science Direct, 15 Feb 2005. Web. 13 Nov 2013. www.sciencedirect.com.