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An ecological cascade effect is a series of secondary extinctions that are triggered by the primary extinction of a key species in an ecosystem.Secondary extinctions are likely to occur when the threatened species are: dependent on a few specific food sources, mutualistic (dependent on the key species in some way), or forced to coexist with an invasive species that is introduced to the ecosystem.
Some naturalised species, such as palms, can act as ecosystem engineers, by changing the habitat and creating new niches that can sometimes have positive effects on an ecosystem. Potential and/or perceived positive impacts of naturalised species are less studied than potential and/or perceived negative impacts. [12]
Humans have introduced more different species to new environments than any single document can record. This list is generally for established species with truly wild populations— not kept domestically, that have been seen numerous times, and have breeding populations. While most introduced species can cause a negative impact to new ...
Introduced species are essentially "non-native" species. Invasive species are those introduced species that spread widely or quickly and cause harm, be that to the environment, [10] human health, other valued resources, or the economy. There have been calls from scientists to consider a species "invasive" only in terms of their spread and ...
Biological pollution (impacts or bio pollution) is the impact of humanity's actions on the quality of aquatic and terrestrial environment. Specifically, biological pollution is the introduction of non-indigenous and invasive species, [ 1 ] otherwise known as Invasive Alien Species (IAS).
If a species integral to an ecosystem has been lost due to extinction, a related species will be placed to fulfil the same role and re-establish the ecosystem function. These typically range from a related sub-species to another species within the same genus. [1] An example of such is the ecological services herbivores provide.
An invasive species is an introduced species that harms its new environment. [2] Invasive species adversely affect habitats and bioregions, causing ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage. The term can also be used for native species that become harmful to their native environment after human alterations to its food web. Since the ...
Oftentimes the introduced species is better equipped to survive and competes with the native species for food or other resources. For example, the strawberry guava tree is one of Hawaii's worst invasive species. It is dangerous because it crowds out native plant species, breaks up natural areas, disrupts native animal communities, alters native ...