December 2 2024
By Minseo Kim
Native creatures that are considered harmless or even desirable at home are often seen as invasive species that disrupt ecosystems abroad. One such example is the squirrel, a familiar animal to Koreans and for a popular pet. Isn't it shocking how a squirrel can disrupt an ecosystem?
Despite their charming appearance, Korean squirrels have been found to be hosts to ticks that spread Lyme disease in Europe. They're considered a local nuisance because of their negative impact on ecosystems and human health. Common water hyacinth is another example: in Korea, it helps clean water and aesthetics and limits its reproduction when temperatures drop, but in tropical and subtropical regions, it's highly prolific, covering the water and preventing fish from absorbing oxygen.
There are a few reasons why creatures from one country can end up in another and cause problems. The first is the lack of natural enemies, and because they have no natural enemies in the ecosystem of their home country, they reproduce indefinitely abroad. Next is high adaptability. In the process of adapting, Snakeheads eat bass and bluegill as they come along, and can even transform into large species, reaching up to three meters in length. Finally, there's human intervention, which is the intended or unintended removal and introduction of organisms.
According to a report by the World Commission on Biological Diversity (IPBES), around 37,000 species of plants and animals have spread to new areas outside their native habitats, and more than 3,500 of them are threatening the biodiversity of those areas. These invasive species are responsible for about 60% of global species extinctions and cause an estimated €392 billion in economic losses annually, while not enough regulation is known to be done