Invasive Species

Invasive Species
(Purple Loosestrife)

Any nonnative species that is introduced into an ecosystem and disrupts it considerably is called an invasive species. Some may naturally migrate to new areas, but most of the time they are introduced by other species' actions. Many invasive species are introduced without the proper calculations as to what their consequences in the ecosystem might be. They also have to be dealt with with caution since their reproduction rate is usually greater than the rest of the native species near it. For example, the Purple Loosestrife travelled from Europe to Massachusetts and is now densely invading our wetlands, preventing native plants from growing.