Ecosystem Interactions | Educating with Evidence | SIU

Invasive species wreak havoc on ecosystems primarily because they lack natural predators in their new environments. Without these natural checks and balances, their populations can surge uncontrollably. This unchecked growth intensifies the strain on local resources, as invasive species compete with native organisms for essentials like food, water, nutrients, space, and sunlight. This competition disrupts established food webs and can lead to significant imbalances within the ecosystem.

Complete the following activity to help you better understand how invasive species impact food webs.

The image from sciencefacts.net (https://www.sciencefacts.net/food-web.html) below depicts a basic food web, a visual representation of the complex network of interactions between different species in an ecosystem. Each arrow represents the flow of energy and nutrients between organisms. It indicates the relationship of who eats who in the ecosystem. For example, the frog and bird are both eaten by the snake.

The bird to the right of the food web is an invasive species in this ecosystem. This bird consumes rabbits, mice, and snakes. Click on the animals that will have to compete with the invasive for food.