UF/IFAS Sarasota County Extension - Invasive Species
Over the past 200 years or so, more than 50,000 foreign plant and animal species have become established in the United States. About one in seven has become invasive, with damage and control costs estimated at more than $138 billion each year (USDA/APHIS, 2001). Invasive species are any non-native plant or animal that enter our ecosystem. The importation of plants and release of exotic animals into the wild are just two of the ways that these invasive species take root in Florida.
The impacts are not just financial. Invasive species upset the delicate balance of nature, for example, by changing food chains.
Here are some important links for more information about Invasive Species in Florida.
- University of Florida IFAS Plant City Research Center- Lot of good information on invasive species
- FloridaInvasives.org - technical and financial assistance against invasive plants
- Non-Native Pet Amnesty Program - Florida - Turn in your exotic pets on Pet Amnesty Days rather than turning them loose
- "Don't Let It Loose" Program - Resources and curriculum to encourage people not to let exotic animals loose in the wild.
- Florida Laws on Invasive Species - A catalog of laws and regulations regarding invasive plants and animals
- Winter 2009 Newletter "The Invader"
Examples of Invasive Species
- Air Potato
- Asian Swamp Eel
- Australian Pine
- Brazilian Pepper
- Brazilian Waterweed
- Brown Anole
- Cuban Treefrog
- Formosan Subterranean Termite
- Green Mussel
- House Mouse
- Hydrilla
- Jack Dempsey Knight Anole
- Kudzu Lionfish
- Marine Toad
- Midas Cichlid Nutria Oscar
- Peacock Bass
- Pike Killifish
- Red-eared Slider Suckermouth Catfish
- Tilapia
- Tokay Gecko
- Walking Catfish
- Water Hyacinth
Invasive Species In the News
Invasive Snail May Damage Diet of Rare Everglades Bird
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