Invasive Species Can Alter Entire Landscapes and Ecosystems

How much can an invasive species impact an ecosystem? It has the potential to alter entire landscapes, according to a new study. Scientists have found that invasive plant and animal species can cause dramatic and enduring changes to the geography and ecology of an environment.

"Invaders can change a landscape in long-lasting ways," said Songlin Fei, one of the researchers, in a news release. "If we do not keep an eye on them, they could cause serious problems that can have impacts for decades or centuries."

In order to better understand the impacts of invasive species, the researchers conducted a review. This review showed that areas where land and water systems overlap, such as wetlands, salt marshes, coastal beaches and dunes, are particularly vulnerable to invasive species. For example, Spartina grass was introduced into coastal mudflats to prevent erosion. In China, the grass transformed about 432 square miles of coastline into saltmarshes.

Forests, in contrast, are slower to show signs of impacts of invasive species. This is partly due to the longer life spans of forest organisms and slow ecosystem turnover.

"This is a subject that merits more attention," said Fei. "We're not saying these changes are positive or negative, but rather, this is what invasive species are doing to the system."

The findings reveal that invasive species can play a huge role in altering ecosystems. It's obvious that in order to prevent these changes, invasive species introduction must be monitored and carefully controlled.

The findings are published in the journal Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution and Systematics.

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