Endangered,Invasive, andReintroducedSpecies of PA
Katie Bozzo
Endangered Species
Endangered Species-plant or animal speciesexisting in such smallnumbers that it’s indanger of becomingextinct
5 most common reasonsof endangerment:
Habitat destruction
Introduction of exoticspecies
Overexploitation
Disease
Pollution
How we can preventendangerment:
Make your homewildlife friendly
Plant vegetation
Recycle
Limit use ofpesticides
Endangered Animals in PA
Club shell: The club shell is endangered becauseof all the pollution from agricultural run-off andindustrial wastes.
Bog Turtle: The main reason for the bog turtlesendangerment is the fact that they are losing theirhabitats quickly.
Dwarf Wedge Mussel: One of the biggestreasons for their endangerment is polluted stormrun-off
Endangered Plants in PA
Northeastern Bulrush: This plant species hasbecome endangered because it depends on thewater levels for survival, currently the water levelshave low, therefore this species is endangered.
Small Whorled Pogonia: The small whorledpogonia is endangered because of the fact thatit’s losing its habitat and degradation.
Endangered Species Pictures
Club Shell
Bog Turtle
Dwarf Wedge Mussel
Northeastern Bulrush
Small WhorledPogonia
Invasive Species
Invasive Species: is non-native to that ecosystemand their introduction is likely to cause harm to theenvironment or human health
Native Species: are species that are used to thatparticular environment
Introduced Species: are species that are non-native to a certain environment and are put intoone for a particular cause
Invasive Species (cont.)
5 of the most commonways invasive species gethere:
Human inducedpathways- created byhumans.
Pathways- most generalway of getting here
Natural Pathways-created by nature andallow movement of thespecies
Intentional Introductions-species brought on forfood, pets, or to combatother species
UnintentionalIntroductions- speciesaccidentally introduced toa new environment
4 ways invasive speciesnegatively affect ourenvironments:
Move into a certain areaand force the nativespecies to either adapt toa new place or die off
Taking over niches oforganisms and dominating
Simply thriving more thanthe native species
Killing the young of thenative species, dying themoff
Invasive Species in PA
Rusty Crayfish: Orconectes rusticus, is native to the OhioRiver Basin. They eat snails, leeches, and clams, and geteaten by bigger fish in both environments. The mostserious problem they cause is the destruction of plantbeds.
Quagga Mussel: Dreussena bugensis, is native to theDneiper River drainage of Ukraine. They eatphytoplankton, zooplankton, and algae, and get eatenby redear sunfish. Their problem is that they covereverything with their eggs.
Round Goby- Neogobius melanostomus, is native tocentral Eurasia (Black Sea and Caspian Sea). They eatmollusks, crustaceans, worms, fish eggs, small fish, andinsect larvae, and are eaten by bigger aquatic animals.The main problem they cause is how aggressive theyare with their eating habits.
Invasive Plants in PA
Kudzu- Pueraria lubata, is native to Asia. The nichekudzu has in both environments is the fact that itjust creates more kudzu vines. The main problemwith kudzu is that it overgrows anything it gets itsvines on.
Five-leaf Akebia- Akebia quinta, is native tocentral Canada, Korea, and Japan. Kudzu andfive-leaf akebia are similar in the way that theyboth create more of itself as the niche. The mainproblem with five-leaf akebia is that it creates toomuch of itself and gets in the way.
Invasive Species Pictures
Rusty Crayfish
Quagga Mussel
Round Goby
Kudzu
Five-leaf Akebia
Reintroduced/ExtirpatedSpecies
Reintroduced- the release of a speciesinto the wild in zones formerly inhabitedby said species
Extirpated- the use of a species to totallydestroy something else
An example of a reintroduced species isthe wolf. There reintroduction is onlyconsidered where big tracts of suitablewilderness is available for them.
Works Cited
www.thefreedictionary.com
www.endangeredspecie.com
www.fish.state.pa.us
www.seagrant.psu.edu
www.blogs.discovery.com