Biodiversity of Alabama:Invasive Species

Invasive Species

Definition: non-native species that are brought into an area and then displace native species

Also called exotics, alien species or introduced species

Do not have natural predators or competitors

68. Privet

Introduced as a hedgerow

Spread by birds that eat the fruits

Outcompetes native shrubs and trees

69. Kudzu

Fast-growing climbing vine from Asia

Introduced to control erosion

Smothers native plants

70. Cogongrass

Introduced from Japan, accidentally and intentionally Reasons it is a problem:1. Fire hazard2. Destroys native habitats3. Livestock can’t eat it

71. Mosquito Fish

Small fish with bulbous bodyAn invasive species that was brought here to eat

mosquito larvae that live in water

72. European Starling

Released into New York City in the late1800s by a man who wanted to introduce to the U.S. all of the birds mentioned in Shakespeare

Now widespread across North America

Outcompetes many native birds for nest holes

73. House Sparrow

European species, now found worldwide

Aggressively outcompetes native cavity-nesting birds

“French fry birds” – thrive near humans

74. Asiatic Clam

Introduced from AsiaVery common in Cahaba

River where they take over native clam species

Sandbar covered with clam shells

75. Japanese Honeysuckle

Grows as a vine and chokes out native plants

Can survive year-round giving it an advantage over some plants

Few natural enemies

 

76. Hydrilla

Clogs waterways, restricting recreation

kills other aquatic life by blocking sunlight and using oxygen

promotes mosquito breeding

77. Chestnut Blight

Chestnut once comprised one-fourth to one-half of eastern U.S. forests, and was prized for its durable wood, and as a food for humans, livestock and wildlife. Today, only stump sprouts from killed trees remain.

Chestnut blight is a disease caused by a fungus that infects the tree

78. Wild BoarSus scrofa Probably introduced by European

settlers originally, although subsequent releases of European “feral swine" and illegal trap and transplant operations by hunting enthusiasts have encouraged their hybridization and spread. 

Considered a direct and aggressive competitor with native wildlife and destroyer of natural plant communities of the state. 

“Every opportunity for eradication should be undertaken.”

79. Fire AntsThe RIFA was

accidentally introduced into the United States aboard a South American cargo ship that docked at the port of Mobile, Alabama, in the 1930s, and came to infest the majority of the Southern and Southwestern United States.