Ohio Invasive Species
What are invasive species? The National Invasive Species Council defines an invasive species as one that “is both non-native (or alien) to the ecosystem under consideration and whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm, or harm to human health."
Whatever you call them – exotics, aliens, non-natives, invasives, or non-indigenous harmful species – invasive species affect us all in one way or another. Approximately 50,000 non-native species have been introduced to the United States. At least half this number (25,000) are plants and 20,000 are microbes (pathogens and diseases). Arthropods (including insects) make up 4,500 species and the remaining are: 138 fish, 97 birds, 88 mollusks (or mussels), 53 reptiles and amphibians, and 20 mammals.
While some of these species, such as corn, wheat, cattle, and poultry, provide more than 80% of the U.S. food system, some become unintentionally well established and cause more than $120 billion a year in damages to agriculture, industry, recreation, forestry, human health, and the environment. Fortunately, only a small fraction of non-native species that are introduced become established and a very low percentage (approximately 10%) become invasive and harmful. However, these 5,000+ species can be incredibly damaging. Some species are highly visible and well known, such as zebra mussels, sea lampreys, round gobies, gypsy moths, purple loosestrife, and Phragmites, while the majority are undetected or invisible to the general public.
Given the overwhelming nature of invasive species on a national scale, one may wonder what specific impacts invasive species have on fish, wildlife, plants, and habitats in Ohio. This website, and the corresponding links, provides some examples of invasive plants and animals known to be affecting Ohio’s natural habitats as well as fish, wildlife, and plant species. You can also find information about what the Division is doing to address the threats of invasive species.
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Terrestrial Invasive Wildlife
(Coming soon!)
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Information on Uninvited Wildlife
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