Invasive, Endangered, and Reintroduced Species of Pennsylvania

BY: MADISON IOLE

Endangered Species

Endangered species means that a species is at risk of extinction because of human activity, changes of climate, or changes in the predator-prey ratio.

Five of the most common reasons for endangerment are:

▪ Habitat Destruction; humans are destroying the species’ homes.

▪ Introduction of exotic species; the common species will have to compete with the new exotic ones for food.

▪ Pollution; when humans pollute it ruins the species environment.▪ Disease; humans can spread disease to the species.▪ Overexploitation; if a species is over-used.

Prevention

Ways to prevent endangerment are to try to stop polluting, stop over-using the species, try to stop spreading disease, and stop destruction of environments.

Coastal Plain Leopard Frog(Rana sphenocephala)

The Coastal Plain Leopard Frog is endangered because of loss of its’ breeding sites due to the land being developed.

Lynx

The Lynx is endangered because its habitat is being developed. The Lynx needs a lot of space to roam around and hunt.

Puma (Puma Concolor)

The Puma is endangered because people hunt them for they fur. Pumas also need large areas to hunt and to live, but they do not have those areas due to their habitats being developed.

Pogonia Plant (Pogonia Ophioglossoides)

The Pogonia Plant is endangered because of deforestation. When we cut down trees we are destroying this plants habitat.

The Spiraea Plant

The Spiraea Plant is endangered because of stream-flow patterns changing.

Invasive Species

Native species are species that are native to a certain area or environment.

Introduced species are species that are introduced into an environment either on accident or on purpose.

Invasive species are species that does not naturally occur in a certain environment.

5 of the most common ways invasive species get into our country Plant seeds are carried by the wind Soil is brought in with other soils Exotic pets escape or are let into parks Small plants and animals can be in soils

we bring in. Small animals can be on the sides of boats

or on planes

4 of the most common ways invasive species negatively affect our environments

Eating other species Competing with other species Inbreeding with other species Introducing parasites or

diseases

Nutria (Myocastor coypus)

Nutrias’ were introduced into Texas in the 1930’s during the fur trade. They were released accidentally into the coastal marshes. The problems that Nutrias’ cause are taking the native species food sources.

Marine Toad (Rana sphenocephala)

The Marine Toad is not native to Florida, but was accidentally introduced. Problems that the Marine Toad cause are releasing toxins that kill small animals

Burmese Python (P. molurus)

The Burmese Python is native to Southeast Asia, and now is established in Florida and Puerto Rico. It can grow to 20 feet long. The problems that the Burmese Python cause are eating all the other native species and their food sources.

Thistles (Cirsium Arvense)

Native to Eurasia Aggressive and highlycompetitive, competes with cropsand forage plants. Take up too much space, invade

other plants “space.”

Garlic Mustard

Europe brought by settlers as a vitamin rich herb.

Widespread in southern and western Pennsylvania.

Grows earlier in spring than native plants, allowing it to dominate forest understory and crowd out native plants.

Reintroduced and Extirpated Species

Reintroduced Species- reintroducing a specific species back into their natural environment after the have been considered “threatened.”

Extirpated Species- a species that has been destroyed or removed completely from a particular area, region, or habitat. The species, however, may exist elsewhere.

European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

Native to Southwest Europe.

European Rabbit…

It was introduced because of lack of mates

It was introduced in the 1960’s

Sources:

Invasive and exotic reptiles www.invasive.org

Endangered Species Listwww.google.com

Extirpated Species Definitionwww.dictionary.com